Micronutrients and Dental Caries Prevention: A Narrative Review

Dental caries remains a common chronic disease worldwide, and its development is influenced by a complex interplay of oral, dietary, and host-related factors. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on the potential role of micronutrients in dental caries prevention, with emphasis on their biological relevance and clinical evidence. Vitamin D has been the most extensively studied micronutrient and may influence caries susceptibility through calcium and phosphate homeostasis, dental mineralization, and immune regulation. However, although observational studies frequently report an inverse association between vitamin D status and caries, findings from randomized controlled trials and Mendelian randomization studies remain inconsistent. Calcium and phosphorus are essential for the formation and maintenance of mineralized dental tissues, while zinc and magnesium may contribute to mineralization and resistance to demineralization. Vitamins A, E, and K and other trace elements may also have roles in maintaining oral health, although evidence supporting their specific effects on dental caries is more limited. Differences in study populations, nutritional assessment, caries outcomes, and study design make comparisons across studies challenging. Micronutrient status may be an important component of the biological context underlying dental caries, but current evidence does not support micronutrient supplementation as a replacement for established preventive measures. Further well-designed clinical studies are needed to clarify the effects of individual and combined micronutrients and to determine which populations may benefit most from targeted nutritional interventions.