The effect of medical therapy on dentin formation in vitamin D-resistant rickets.

Vitamin D-resistant rickets (VDRR) is one of the most common forms of rickets in developed countries today. Widely practiced medical treatment regimens usually include replacing phosphorus and calcium lost through urination. In this study, 20 teeth from five patients with varying grades of dental manifestation of VDRR were examined to relate the institution of medical therapy with any observed improvement of dentin calcification. In all the teeth examined, there was no correlation between the time of appearance of dentin changes and the commencement of medical therapy. Furthermore, in several teeth from the patients with Grade III severity, there were no signs of improvement in dentin calcification even after prolonged medical therapy. This study suggests that current medical treatment of VDRR has no beneficial effect on the dental structures and dentists should not rely on medical treatment to correct dental calcification problems.