Background and Objectives: Chronic periodontitis is a prevalent inflammatory disease driven by dysbiotic subgingival biofilms, causing progressive destruction of the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. Vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) may affect periodontal health via immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects on host responses. However, if standard non-surgical or surgical periodontal therapy alters systemic vitamin D concentrations is still controversial due to previous conflicting evidence. This single-arm prospective study assessed longitudinal changes in serum vitamin D levels in patients with chronic periodontitis.
Materials and Methods: Thirty-two systemically healthy patients with chronic periodontitis were enrolled. Treatment included scaling and root planing, with surgical intervention as clinically indicated. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was quantified via chemiluminescence immunoassay at the baseline, 1 m and 3 m. Repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni adjustment was used (α = 0.05).
Results: Mean serum vitamin D levels were 24.7(9.2), 22.8(7.9) and 20.6(8.6) ng/ml at the baseline, 1 m and 3 m, respectively. A significant time-dependent decrease was observed [F(1.08,33.49) = 6.83, P = 0.012, η²p = 0.181]. The 3-m levels were significantly lower than the baseline (P = 0.036) and 1-m (P = 0.044) levels; the 1-m decrease was not significant (P = 0.061).
Conclusions: Within the limitations of this single-arm design, serum vitamin D significantly decreased post therapy. Without a control group or adjustment for seasonal, dietary or sunlight confounders, causal attribution is impossible. Periodontal therapy alone appears insufficient to increase systemic vitamin D, reinforcing the importance of independent nutritional assessment and targeted supplementation, particularly in patients with baseline insufficiency. These observational findings needs verification through randomized controlled trials.