INFLUENCE OF VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY ON THE PREVALENCE OF DENTAL PATHOLOGY

Vitamin D plays an essential role in maintaining systemic and oral health due to its numerous biological and physiological effects. This publication discusses the influence of vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D supplementation on development, progression, and prevention of dental diseases. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin existing in several biologically important forms: vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), mainly obtained from plant-derived food products and fungi; vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol or calcidiol), physiologically synthesized in humans. Vitamin D3 actively participates in bone metabolism and multiple physiological processes within the organism. Approximately 80–90% of vitamin D3 is synthesized in the skin under ultraviolet solar radiation, while the remaining amount is obtained from food products such as fatty fish, egg yolk, and dairy products. Vitamin D2 derived from plant sources is absorbed in substantially lower quantities compared with vitamin D3. Following hydroxylation, vitamin D3 is converted into calcidiol, serving as the principal storage form of vitamin D and compensating for insufficient endogenous synthesis during periods of reduced sunlight exposure. Depending on hydroxylation status, vitamin D may exist in active, inactive, or precursor forms.