Introduction: Salivary melatonin is a critical antioxidant that contributes to oral health by mitigating oxidative stress. Psychological stress linked to thumb sucking may disrupt oral homeostasis, leading to conditions such as dental caries and fungal infections. Aim: This study explores the relationships between thumb sucking, salivary melatonin levels, dental caries, and the presence of Candida albicans (CA) in children. Materials and methods: A case-control study was conducted with 60 children aged 4-5 years at the University of Baghdad’s College of Dentistry. Participants were divided into thumb-sucking (n=30) and non-thumb-sucking (n=30) groups. Salivary melatonin levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), dental caries were assessed via the dmfs index, and CA counts were quantified on Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA). Statistical analyses were performed, including t-tests, ANOVA, and correlation assessments. Results: Thumb-sucking children exhibited significantly lower salivary melatonin levels (28.620±2.278 pg/mL) compared to controls (34.525±2.142 pg/mL; p=0.044). The thumb-sucking group also had higher dmfs scores (15.033±1.449 vs. 8.667±0.899; p=0.000) and greater CA counts (18.900±1.048 vs. 13.583±0.549; p=0.000). Negative correlations were observed between salivary melatonin levels and the severity of dental caries, while positive correlations linked CA with dental caries. Conclusions: Thumb sucking adversely affects pediatric oral health by reducing salivary melatonin, increasing dental caries risk, and promoting fungal overgrowth. Early intervention to curb thumb-sucking behaviors may mitigate these risks and improve oral health outcomes.
Abstract
The research aims to build a training program to develop some executive functions for kindergarten children. To achieve this goal, the two researchers built the program according to the following steps:
1. Determining the general objective of the program.
2. Determining the behavioral objectives of the program.
3. Determining the included content in the program.
4. Implementing the content of the activities of the program.
5. Evaluating the Program.
The program included (12) training activities, the training activities included several items: the title of the activity, the time of implementation of the activity, the general objective of the activity, the procedural behavioral objective, the means and tools u
ABSTRACT
The aim of the research is to identify the impact of the areas of organizational change in strategic marketing planning in cement factories operating within the city of Al-Khums, and this effect was measured using a questionnaire consisting of 28 phrases, and it was relied on the descriptive approach that suits the nature of the subject of the research, while the research community consists of heads And members of the board of directors, authorized managers, unit managers and heads of departments in the factories under study, which numbered 55 respondents, during the month of September of the year 2021, and a sample of the compreh
... Show MoreTo determine the abilities of salivary E‐cadherin to differentiate between periodontal health and periodontitis and to discriminate grades of periodontitis.
E‐cadherin is the main protein responsible for maintaining the integrity of epithelial‐barrier function. Disintegration of this protein is one of the events associated with the destructive forms of periodontal disease leading to increase concentration of E‐cadherin in the oral biofluids.
A total of 63 patients with periodontitis (case) and 35
Background: Alginate impression material is the irreversible hydrocolloid material that is widely used in dentistry. The contact time between alginate and gypsum cast could have a detrimental effect on the properties of the gypsum cast. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of various contact time intervals of Alginate impressions & type III dental stone on surface properties of stone cast. Materials and Methods: Time intervals tested were 1hour, 6 hours and 9 hours. Surface properties of stone cast evaluated were surface detail reproduction, hardness and roughness. Surface detail reproduction was determined using cylindrical brass test block in accordance with ISO 1563. Surface roughness was measured by profilometer
... Show MoreBackground: Oral health is a mirror of general health. During pregnancy, oral health is affected by changes in saliva and oral hygiene measures which may lead to more dental caries.
Objective: Assess oral health status in relation to salivary antimicrobial peptides in pregnant women.
Subjects and Method: This cross sectional study was carried out in different primary health care centers in Rusafa sectors/ Baghdad city. The total sample included was 80 women (their age range from 21-30). The study group consisted of 40 pregnant women: half of them were in the first trimester and others were in third trimester, while the control group included 40 non-pregnant married fem
... Show MoreObjectives: The study aims to: (1) assess psychological distress in parents of autistic children, (2) identify the
relationship between psychological distress and parents' socio-demographic characteristics such as (age, marital
status, relationship with child, educational level and monthly income) and (3) identify the relationship between
parent's distress and some of children' socio-demographic characteristics such as (gender, age, birth order and
mean number of children).
Methodology: A descriptive–analytical study that was carried out from December 12th, 2011 to May 1st, 2012.
on a purposive (non- probability) sample of 120 parents (father and mother) who have children with autism and
send their children to the
This research explains to us the role of the Islamic religion in the issue of accuracy in speech and work, and how it is closely related to human production in his life, and Islam affirms that his idea is mainly reflected in his production, and how it affects the perception of the meaning of creativity. Therefore, our Islam affirmed the accuracy in every word or work we do to build a society in which people enjoy high quality in ethics and dedication in their work so that the Islamic system depends on humanity to preserve our rights on the other hand the research discusses the deliberate default and how it reflects on our production and how it makes it less good.
The topic of the research tagged (narrative structure and its impact on building open and closed endings in the fictional film) is summarized by studying the mechanism of employing closed and open endings in the fictional film. novelist, then the need for it, as well as the objectives of the research and clarifying its limits as well as its importance. Then moving to the theoretical framework, which included three topics, where the first topic was entitled (the cinematic construction of the film narrative), either the second topic (the structure of complexity and narrative solutions), or the third topic dealt with the subject (the structure of the end and its relationship to the construction of the narrative). After completing the theore
... Show MoreThe magazine covers the subjects of (simplicity and complexity in the visual layout of the designs of magazine coverings of children) Chapter I The problem and importance of the goal and limits of research and addition to Terminology. In the second chapter the theoretical framework in which the first topic the role of simplicity and complexity in the design and the second section Visual design and design relations and the third research design in magazine covers and the third chapter includes the methodology of research and analysis and the results and conclusions and sources and the most important result of the research is (simplicity and complexity of design, Continuity and vitality and attract the attention of the receiver through the
... Show MoreBackground: Guillain Barré syndrome is an acute inflammatory demyelinating disease of the peripheral nerves. Its synonyms are: acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, idiopathic polyneuritis, acute infective polyneuropathy and post infections polyneuritis. Objectives: We attempt to study the clinical presentations and complications in patients with GBS who were admitted to children welfare Teaching Hospital and to compare the results with the other studies.Type of the study: A retrospective study.Methods: A study done on seventy patients with GBS who were admitted to children Welfare Teaching Hospital in Medical City-Baghdad from different parts of Iraq between January 2002-December 2006.Results: Forty (57.14%) of them
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