Normal humans of all ages have the innate ability to produce vitamin D following sunlight exposure. Inadequate vitamin D status has shown to be associated with a wide variety of diseases, including oral health disorders. Insufficient sunlight exposure may accelerate some of these diseases, possibly due to impaired vitamin D synthesis. The beneficial effects of vitamin D on oral health are not only limited to the direct effects on the tooth mineralization, but are also exerted through the anti-inflammatory functions and the ability to stimulate the production of anti-microbial peptides. In this article, we will briefly discuss the genesis of various oral diseases due to inadequate vitamin D level in the body and elucidate the potential benefits of safe sunlight exposure for the maintenance of oral and general health.
Alveolar Bone Loss/metabolism , Dietary Supplements , Oral Health , Periodontitis/metabolism , Vitamin D Deficiency/metabolism , Vitamin D/analogs & derivatives , Alveolar Bone Loss/complications , Alveolar Bone Loss/pathology , Alveolar Bone Loss/prevention & control , Calcium/metabolism , Female , Humans , Male , Periodontitis/complications , Periodontitis/pathology , Periodontitis/prevention & control , Sunlight , Tooth/drug effects , Tooth/metabolism , Tooth/pathology , Vitamin D/administration & dosage , Vitamin D/blood , Vitamin D Deficiency/complications , Vitamin D Deficiency/diet therapy , Vitamin D Deficiency/pathology , alpha-Defensins/biosynthesis
