Researchers in Pakistan studied 44 patients with oral lichen planus, a condition that causes painful sores and irritation inside the mouth. They measured vitamin D levels in their blood and checked how severe their mouth condition was. While patients with worse symptoms tended to have lower vitamin D levels, the connection wasn’t strong enough to prove vitamin D directly causes the problem. The findings suggest vitamin D might play a role, but more research is needed to understand the relationship.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether people with a painful mouth condition called oral lichen planus have different vitamin D levels than expected, and if vitamin D levels connect to how severe their condition is
  • Who participated: 44 patients diagnosed with oral lichen planus (a condition causing white patches, sores, and irritation inside the mouth) who visited a military hospital in Pakistan between October 2023 and February 2024
  • Key finding: Patients with more severe mouth symptoms showed slightly lower vitamin D levels on average (33.64 ng/ml), but this pattern wasn’t strong enough statistically to prove vitamin D causes the condition or makes it worse
  • What it means for you: If you have oral lichen planus, checking your vitamin D levels might be worth discussing with your doctor, but this study alone doesn’t prove that taking vitamin D supplements will help. More research is needed before making treatment decisions based on vitamin D alone.

The Research Details

This was a cross-sectional study, which means researchers took a snapshot in time of 44 patients with oral lichen planus. They measured two things: how severe each patient’s mouth condition was using a scoring system called WEA-MOD (which rates the appearance and severity of white patches and sores), and their blood vitamin D levels. They then looked to see if patients with worse symptoms had different vitamin D levels.

The researchers used statistical tests to check if there was a real connection between vitamin D levels and disease severity. They also compared different types of oral lichen planus to see if vitamin D levels differed between them.

Cross-sectional studies are useful for spotting possible connections between health factors and diseases, which can guide future research. Understanding whether vitamin D plays a role in oral lichen planus could eventually lead to new treatment options. However, this study type can’t prove that low vitamin D causes the condition—it only shows whether they tend to occur together.

This study has some important limitations to consider: the sample size was relatively small (44 patients), which makes it harder to find real patterns. The study was done at one hospital in Pakistan, so results might not apply to other populations. The researchers found a trend toward lower vitamin D in more severe cases, but the pattern wasn’t statistically significant, meaning it could have happened by chance. The study didn’t include a control group of healthy people for comparison.

What the Results Show

The average severity score for oral lichen planus in this group was 3.39 out of a possible scale. The average vitamin D level was 33.64 ng/ml, which is considered low to borderline (normal is typically above 30 ng/ml). When researchers looked at whether vitamin D levels changed as disease severity increased, they found a slight downward trend—patients with worse symptoms tended to have lower vitamin D. However, when they ran statistical tests, this pattern wasn’t strong enough to be considered a real, reliable connection (p-value was 0.730, meaning there’s a 73% chance this pattern happened randomly).

When comparing different types of oral lichen planus, patients with the erosive form (which causes actual sores and tissue loss) showed slightly lower vitamin D levels compared to those with the reticular form (which causes white lacy patterns). However, this difference also wasn’t statistically significant.

The study found that the erosive type of oral lichen planus—the more painful and damaging form—showed a trend toward lower vitamin D levels compared to the reticular type. This suggests there might be a connection between vitamin D status and how severe the condition becomes, but the evidence is weak. The researchers noted that while the pattern is interesting, it’s not conclusive enough to guide treatment decisions.

Previous research has suggested that vitamin D deficiency might be linked to various autoimmune and inflammatory mouth conditions. This study adds to that discussion but doesn’t provide strong confirmation. The weak connection found here contrasts with some earlier studies that suggested stronger links between vitamin D and oral lichen planus, suggesting the relationship may be more complex than initially thought or may vary between populations.

The biggest limitation is the small number of participants (44 patients), which makes it harder to find real patterns. The study only looked at one point in time, so researchers couldn’t track whether vitamin D levels changed or how they affected the condition over time. There was no comparison group of healthy people without oral lichen planus. The study was conducted at a single hospital in Pakistan, so results might not apply to other countries or populations. The lack of statistical significance means researchers can’t confidently say vitamin D levels truly affect disease severity.

The Bottom Line

Based on this study alone, there is insufficient evidence to recommend vitamin D supplementation specifically for treating oral lichen planus (low confidence). However, maintaining adequate vitamin D levels is important for overall health. If you have oral lichen planus, discuss vitamin D testing and supplementation with your dermatologist or doctor as part of a comprehensive treatment plan, but don’t rely on vitamin D alone as a treatment.

This research is most relevant to people with oral lichen planus who are looking for all possible contributing factors to their condition. Dermatologists and oral health specialists may find this useful for patient discussions. People with vitamin D deficiency and oral lichen planus might want to discuss supplementation with their doctor. This study is less relevant to people without oral lichen planus.

If vitamin D supplementation were recommended by your doctor, it typically takes 2-3 months to see changes in blood vitamin D levels, and several more months to potentially see effects on mouth symptoms. Don’t expect immediate improvement.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your vitamin D levels (measured in ng/ml) every 2-3 months if your doctor recommends supplementation, and rate your oral lichen planus symptoms weekly using a simple 1-10 pain/severity scale to monitor any changes over time
  • If your doctor recommends it, set a daily reminder to take vitamin D supplements at the same time each day, and log your intake in the app to maintain consistency and track adherence
  • Create a long-term tracking dashboard that shows your vitamin D levels over time alongside your symptom severity scores, allowing you to visually see if there’s any correlation in your personal health data and share results with your healthcare provider

This study suggests a possible but unproven connection between vitamin D levels and oral lichen planus severity. The findings are not conclusive and should not be used to self-diagnose or self-treat oral lichen planus. Always consult with a dermatologist, dentist, or physician before starting vitamin D supplements or changing your treatment plan. This research is preliminary and represents only one small study; larger, more rigorous studies are needed before making clinical recommendations. Individual results may vary significantly.