The Role of Vitamin D on the Wound Healing Process: A Case Series

Abstract

Introduction

Vitamin D is an essential steroid hormone that consists of two forms, namely vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), which can be obtained from exposure to sunlight, synthesis of vitamin D in the skin, food and dietary supplements. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in several countries including Indonesia is still high, while the role of vitamin D is very important including accelerating the wound healing process, increasing the immune system, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial.

Purpose

This case report aims to find out the role of vitamin D in the wound-healing process in the oral mucosa.

Case Reports

Two men went to the Oral Disease Clinic with complaints of canker sores on the oral mucosa for more than a month accompanied by pain. Intra-oral condition in the first patient showed multiple ulcers with yellowish white base surrounded by erythematous areas, well-defined, irregular with a size of 1.5 × 1 cm and 1 × 0.5 cm on the right and left buccal mucosa, while intra-oral in the second patient, a single ulcer with a base was found yellowish colour surrounded by erythematous area, oval measuring 3x1 cm, clearly demarcated with induration.

Results

Laboratory examination of vitamin D in both patients showed decreased levels of vitamin D with values of 28.7 and 9.8 ng/mL.

Conclusion

Vitamin D supplementation has shown effectiveness in wound-healing processes in the oral mucosa.

Keywords:

• vitamin D
• role
• immune system
• wound healing
• mouth ulceration

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.