Caries is described as the localized demineralization of dental tissues caused by acid produced from free sugars’ bacterial fermentation (Machiulskiene et al., 2020, Peres et al., 2019). Approximately 2 billion permanent and 0.5 billion primary teeth are impacted by untreated caries worldwide (Wen et al., 2022). This condition adversely affects individuals' Oral Health-related Quality of Life (Marquezan et al., 2024). Although caries can be prevented through proper oral hygiene, reduced intake of fermentable carbohydrates, and the use of fluoride, managing caries at the population level remains challenging (Peres et al., 2019). This difficulty is due to the significant influence of contextual, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors (Peres et al., 2019), which are the primary factors explaining the development and progression of caries (Demarco et al., 2023, Peres et al., 2019). However, variations in caries prevalence are evident among individuals with similar protective and risk factors and comparable oral health behaviors (Slade et al., 2013, van Loveren and Duggal, 2001). Genetic variations have been identified as possible risk/protection factors for caries susceptibility (Chisini et al., 2023), showing a significant influence on the development and progression of caries (Chisini et al., 2021, Chisini et al., 2020, Chisini et al., 2020; Chisini et al., 2023, Chisini et al., 2023, Chisini et al., 2023).

Vitamin D (VD) is a liposoluble secosteroid that participates in the immune response to oral microbial infections (Chhonkar et al., 2018, Deane et al., 2018, Gyll et al., 2018, Hujoel, 2013, Kim et al., 2018, Raftery et al., 2015). It acts by binding to a specific receptor within cells, known as the vitamin D receptor (VDR) (Benson et al., 2023). This receptor, located in the cell's nucleus, binds to DNA (Bikle, 2014), triggering the regulation of several genes and the activation of cellular processes linked to immune response (Bikle, 2014). The VDR is present in many tissues and, upon activation, can influence a wide range of biological functions (Chhonkar et al., 2018, Deane et al., 2018, Gyll et al., 2018, Hujoel, 2013, Kim et al., 2018, Raftery et al., 2015), including the immune response (Chhonkar et al., 2018, Deane et al., 2018, Gyll et al., 2018, Hujoel, 2013, Kim et al., 2018, Raftery et al., 2015) that shapes the host microbiome (Chatterjee et al., 2020). Moreover, vitamin D plays a crucial role in the physiology of mineralized tissues by regulating calcium and phosphorus levels, both essential for craniofacial development, including teeth formation (Uwitonze et al., 2018). Vitamin D deficiency during odontogenesis has been linked to developmental defects in dental mineralized tissues, such as enamel hypoplasia (Reed et al., 2017), and is considered a risk factor for caries development (Seminario and Velan, 2016).

The VDR gene is situated on human chromosome 12q13.11 region, presenting multiple polymorphic regions (Wang et al., 2012). Some of these genetic variations have been explored concerning the development of caries, mainly in the East Asian population, but findings have been inconsistent (Kong et al., 2017; Qin et al., 2019; Yu et al., 2017). For example, the rs10735810 (C/T) (VDR), an exon variant, was associated with caries experience in the permanent teeth of Chinese adolescents (Yu et al., 2017). However, it was not associated with the other two samples of Chinese children (Kong et al., 2017; Qin et al., 2019). Identifying specific single-nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) linked to VDR that influence individual susceptibility to caries could enhance our understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying caries risk. Understanding the role of VDR polymorphisms is especially relevant in different populations, given the crucial role of vitamin D in immune response and mineral tissue physiology. The present study aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms related to vitamin D receptor genes on the caries experience.