Association between Salivary Vitamin D Levels and Periodontal Disease Severity: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Vitamin D supports periodontal health by modulating immunity and bone metabolism. As a non-invasive diagnostic fluid, saliva may reflect systemic vitamin D status and serve as a potential biomarker for periodontal health. This study aimed to compare salivary vitamin D levels between patients with periodontitis and healthy subjects, and to investigate their association with key clinical periodontal parameters. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 100 participants (50 with periodontitis and 50 healthy controls). Unstimulated saliva samples were collected and analysed for vitamin D concentration using ELISA. Clinical periodontal parameters, including probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and bleeding on probing (BOP), were recorded and analysed for correlations with salivary vitamin D levels. Results Salivary vitamin D levels were significantly lower in the periodontitis group compared to healthy controls ( p < 0.01). Moreover, salivary vitamin D levels demonstrated a moderate negative correlation with PPD, CAL, and BOP. Conclusion Lower salivary vitamin D levels are associated with periodontal disease severity, suggesting that salivary vitamin D may serve as a non-invasive biomarker for periodontal disease severity assessment. However, further longitudinal and interventional studies are warranted to confirm these findings.