Purpose: To determine if there is an association between early childhood caries (ECC) and vitamin D deficiency, as measured via a serum sample. An exploratory goal was to investigate the possibility of measuring vitamin D with a salivary assay. Methods: Serum samples of patients who were scheduled for a dental or otolaryngology procedure under general anesthesia were assessed for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), parathyroid hormone and calcium. Results: Our analysis indicates that the vitamin D levels of the controls and ECC group were significantly different. There were significant inverse correlations between: 1) PTH levels and vitamin D and 2) decayed, missing, filled teeth (dmft) and vitamin D. Conclusions: A relationship between low serum levels of vitamin D and the prevalence of ECC for children 0 to 6 years of age was observed. The salivary assay was unable to measure vitamin D, but future studies should still explore this non-invasive technique
