Menopause, vitamin D, and oral health

To the Editor: Buencamino and colleagues¹ reviewed the association between menopause and periodontal disease. However, they did not mention the role of vitamin D status in this setting.

Vitamin D status is usually divided into three categories based on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels: “deficient” (≤ 15 ng/mL), “insufficient” (15.1–29.9 ng/mL), and “sufficient” (≥ 30 ng/mL). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels have been decreasing significantly for more than a decade, and as a result, a majority of the US population has a vitamin D insufficiency.

In the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), a large US population survey, a low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was independently associated with periodontal disease.² In particular, it was significantly associated with loss of alveolar attachment in persons older than 50 years of both sexes, independent of race or ethnicity; women in the highest 25-hydroxyvitamin D quintile had, on average, 0.26 mm (95% confidence interval 0.09–0.43 mm) less mean attachment loss than did women in the lowest quintile. Furthermore, in a randomized trial, supplementation with vitamin D (700 IU/day) plus calcium (500 mg/day) has been shown to significantly reduce tooth loss in older persons over a 3-year treatment period.³

Osteoporosis and periodontal disease share several risk factors, and it might be speculated that these pathologic conditions are biologically intertwined.⁴ The decreased bone mineral density of osteoporosis can lead to an altered trabecular pattern and more rapid alveolar bone resorption, thus predisposing to periodontal disease. On the other hand, periodontal infections can increase the systemic release of inflammatory cytokines, which accelerate systemic bone resorption. Indeed, vitamin D deficiency has been associated with a cytokine profile that favors greater inflammation (eg, higher levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin 6, and lower levels of interleukin 10), and vitamin D supplementation decreases circulating inflammatory markers.⁵ This might break the vicious circle of osteoporosis, periodontal disease development, and further systemic bone resorption.

Therefore, we suggest that menopausal women should maintain an adequate vitamin D status in order to prevent and treat osteoporosis-associated periodontal disease.

To the Editor: Buencamino and colleagues¹ reviewed the association between menopause and periodontal disease. However, they did not mention the role of vitamin D status in this setting.

Vitamin D status is usually divided into three categories based on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels: “deficient” (≤ 15 ng/mL), “insufficient” (15.1–29.9 ng/mL), and “sufficient” (≥ 30 ng/mL). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels have been decreasing significantly for more than a decade, and as a result, a majority of the US population has a vitamin D insufficiency.

In the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), a large US population survey, a low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was independently associated with periodontal disease.² In particular, it was significantly associated with loss of alveolar attachment in persons older than 50 years of both sexes, independent of race or ethnicity; women in the highest 25-hydroxyvitamin D quintile had, on average, 0.26 mm (95% confidence interval 0.09–0.43 mm) less mean attachment loss than did women in the lowest quintile. Furthermore, in a randomized trial, supplementation with vitamin D (700 IU/day) plus calcium (500 mg/day) has been shown to significantly reduce tooth loss in older persons over a 3-year treatment period.³

Osteoporosis and periodontal disease share several risk factors, and it might be speculated that these pathologic conditions are biologically intertwined.⁴ The decreased bone mineral density of osteoporosis can lead to an altered trabecular pattern and more rapid alveolar bone resorption, thus predisposing to periodontal disease. On the other hand, periodontal infections can increase the systemic release of inflammatory cytokines, which accelerate systemic bone resorption. Indeed, vitamin D deficiency has been associated with a cytokine profile that favors greater inflammation (eg, higher levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin 6, and lower levels of interleukin 10), and vitamin D supplementation decreases circulating inflammatory markers.⁵ This might break the vicious circle of osteoporosis, periodontal disease development, and further systemic bone resorption.

Therefore, we suggest that menopausal women should maintain an adequate vitamin D status in order to prevent and treat osteoporosis-associated periodontal disease.

To the Editor: Buencamino and colleagues¹ reviewed the association between menopause and periodontal disease. However, they did not mention the role of vitamin D status in this setting.

Vitamin D status is usually divided into three categories based on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels: “deficient” (≤ 15 ng/mL), “insufficient” (15.1–29.9 ng/mL), and “sufficient” (≥ 30 ng/mL). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels have been decreasing significantly for more than a decade, and as a result, a majority of the US population has a vitamin D insufficiency.

In the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), a large US population survey, a low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was independently associated with periodontal disease.² In particular, it was significantly associated with loss of alveolar attachment in persons older than 50 years of both sexes, independent of race or ethnicity; women in the highest 25-hydroxyvitamin D quintile had, on average, 0.26 mm (95% confidence interval 0.09–0.43 mm) less mean attachment loss than did women in the lowest quintile. Furthermore, in a randomized trial, supplementation with vitamin D (700 IU/day) plus calcium (500 mg/day) has been shown to significantly reduce tooth loss in older persons over a 3-year treatment period.³

Osteoporosis and periodontal disease share several risk factors, and it might be speculated that these pathologic conditions are biologically intertwined.⁴ The decreased bone mineral density of osteoporosis can lead to an altered trabecular pattern and more rapid alveolar bone resorption, thus predisposing to periodontal disease. On the other hand, periodontal infections can increase the systemic release of inflammatory cytokines, which accelerate systemic bone resorption. Indeed, vitamin D deficiency has been associated with a cytokine profile that favors greater inflammation (eg, higher levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin 6, and lower levels of interleukin 10), and vitamin D supplementation decreases circulating inflammatory markers.⁵ This might break the vicious circle of osteoporosis, periodontal disease development, and further systemic bone resorption.

Therefore, we suggest that menopausal women should maintain an adequate vitamin D status in order to prevent and treat osteoporosis-associated periodontal disease.