OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to vitamin D receptor genes (VDR) on caries experience. METHODS: The search included five databases, focusing exclusively on human studies. Meta-analyses were conducted for each SNP and polling data from various SNPs within the gene. A Funnel Plot and Egger's test were performed. RESULTS: Fourteen studies were included in the systematic review and thirteen in the meta-analysis. Seven SNPs related to VDR were assessed, and most (57.1 %) were in exon regions. A total of 4944 participants were included. No individual SNP was found to be significantly associated with caries in any of the evaluated models (allelic, genotypic heterozygous, or homozygous) (p >
0.05). No difference was observed even when stratifying via subgroup analysis according to population (p >
0.05). In the gene-level analysis adjusted by linkage disequilibrium, the overall model showed an OR of 0.93 (95 %CI: 0.69-1.23) for the allelic analysis, 1.15 (95 %CI: 0.84-1.57) for the homozygous genotypic model, and 1.18 (95 %CI: 0.95-1.48) for the heterozygous genotypic model. When stratified by subgroups, the East Asian population was associated with an increased OR of 1.42 (95 %CI: 1.01-2.01) in the heterozygous genotypic model. Egger's test showed no significant publication bias for all models (p >
0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The present findings showed that the SNPs in VDR are influenced by ethnic background and may play an important role in dental caries experience according to different ethnic groups. (CRD42020134424).