Vitamin D Status and Tooth Loss in Postmenopausal Females: The Buffalo Osteoporosis and Periodontal Disease (OsteoPerio) Study

Background: Vitamin D is hypothesized to reduce risk for tooth loss via its influence on bone health, inflammation, and the immune response. The association between plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and prevalence and 5-year incidence of tooth loss in a cohort of postmenopausal females was examined.Methods: Participants underwent oral examinations at study baseline (1997 to 2000) and follow-up (2002 to 2005) to determine the number of missing teeth and 5-year incidence of tooth loss, respectively. At both visits, females self-reported reasons for each missing tooth. At baseline, 152 females reported no history of tooth loss, and 628 were categorized as reporting a history of tooth loss as a result of periodontal disease (n = 70) or caries (n = 558) (total n = 780). At follow-up, 96, 376, 48, and 328 females were categorized into the aforementioned categories related to tooth loss (total n = 472). Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals ...