title: Association of vitamin D and dental caries in children: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005-2006.
abstract: The authors sought to determine associations between serum vitamin D levels and dental caries in noninstitutionalized children aged 5 to 12 years in the United States.
  
  
  
  The authors used National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005-2006, data to study childhood caries and vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency and inadequacy were defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) less than 30 nanomoles per liter and between 30 and 49 nmol/L, respectively. Associations between vitamin D and caries experience (a combined measure of untreated caries or restorations) were examined after adjustment for confounders using multivariate logistic regression at a critical value of 5%. Sample weights were used to generate nationally representative estimates.
  
  
  
  The overall prevalence of serum 25(OH)D less than 30 nmol/L and 25(OH)D between 30 and 49 nmol/L among 5- to 12-year-olds was 3% and 16%, respectively. Prevalence of 25(OH)D less than 30 nmol/L and 25(OH)D between 30 and 49 nmol/L among children with caries experience was 2% and 16%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis found no significant association between vitamin D and caries experience (P = .78). Furthermore, this association was not significant after adjusting for age, sex, race and ethnicity, ratio of family income to poverty threshold, and sugar consumption (P = .46).
  
  
  
  The authors did not find a significant association between 25(OH)D status and caries experience in US children who participated in NHANES, 2005-2006.
  
  
  
  The authors' findings do not support existing evidence of an association between caries and vitamin D.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Herzog
authors.forename: JoAnna M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hujoel
authors.forename: Ana Lucia
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Seminario
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003731:Dental Caries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D
keywords: Dental caries; pediatrics; vitamin D