The effect of vitamin D supplementation on periodontal health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS/OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aimed to assess whether supplementation with vitamin D compared to no supplementation or placebo might provide a significant benefit for periodontal and peri-implant health in terms of changes in probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), tooth loss and implant loss. METHODS: Three databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) looking at the effect of vitamin supplementation on periodontal and peri-implant health with a minimum follow-up of 1 month. Meta-analysis of the weighted mean differences (MD), with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was performed when ≥3 studies with the same characteristics and follow-up were identified. RESULTS: Fourteen articles (13 RCTs and 1 CCT) were included for qualitative assessment, but none assessed the impact of vitamin D on peri-implant health. Three studies assessing the impact of vitamin D supplementation to non-surgical periodontal therapy with a total of four subset of subjects were included in the meta-analysis on changes in PPD with an estimated mean difference of 0.0023 mm (95% CI: -0.0378 mm to 0.0424 mm), which was not statistically significant (p = 0.9110). DISCUSSION: Vitamin D supplementation does not confer a statistically significant additional benefit to non-surgical periodontal therapy in reducing probing pocket depth. Although vitamin D may exert anti-inflammatory effects on gingival tissues, current evidence is limited, heterogeneous, and insufficient to support a clear clinical recommendation. No studies addressing peri-implant health outcomes were identified, underscoring a gap in the literature. Well-designed, long-term randomized controlled trials that control for confounding variables are needed to determine the role of vitamin D supplementation in periodontal health.