Untreated caries and serum vitamin D levels in children and youth of the United States: NHANES 2013-2014

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the association between serum vitamin D levels and untreated caries and determining factors in children and youth. Methodology: This cross-sectional study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2014). In total, 3,072 participants with ages ranging from 1 to 19 years were included in our sample. The main dependent variable, untreated caries, was defined as having at least one untreated carious surface in any tooth. Serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was categorized into four groups: ≥75 nmol/ml, 50-74.9 nmol/ml, 25-49.9 nmol/ml, and