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.
Background: Orthodontic tooth movement is characterized by tissue reactions, which consist of an inflammatory response in periodontal ligament and followed by bone remodeling in the periodontium depending on the forces applied. These processes trigger the secretion of various proteins and enzymes into the saliva.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in saliva during orthodontic tooth movement using different magnitude of continuous orthodontic forces. Materials and Methods: Thirty orthodontic patients (12 males and 18 females) aged 17-23 years with class II division I malocclusion all requiring bilateral maxillary first premolar extractions were randomly divided into three groups according to t
... Show MoreBackground: Psychological stress is considered the major etiological factor precipitating myofacial pain and temporomandibular disorders.It is known that stress induce various adaptational responses of physiologic systems. The process includes increase in the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis which promotes cortisol secretion. Salivary cortisol has been used as a measure of free circulating cortisol levels.The use of salivary biomarkers has gained increased popularity since collecting samples is non-invasive and painless. The aim of thisstudy was to evaluate the level of cortisol in saliva among sample of university students having myofacial pain, during the final exam period and whether this finding could have a significa
... Show MoreThe consequences of ionizing radiation-induced oxidative stress on radiographers in X-ray and CT-scan departments utilizing several biochemical were analyzed. The study found highly considerable discrepancies in the interplay between radiation levels and gender in terms of mean Malondialdehyde (MAD), Vitamin D3 (Vit.D3), Triiodothyronine (T3), Thyroxine (T4), and High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL), but not Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), cholesterol, triglyceride (TG) and Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL). The findings indicated that malondialdehyde is a useful biomarker for assessing oxidative stress in radiographers with exposure to ionizing radiation.
Abstract
Performance evaluation is of great importance in all countries of the world, because it has a prominent and effective role in determining the efficiency and effectiveness of the optimal use of available resources, which are rare and important in achieving the desired objectives. With the continued growth of public spending and the limited resources, the State seeks to achieve its objectives through its units with minimal expenditure or deficit, rationality and wastefulness in the spending. In many countries, particularly developing countries, reforms are made in the public sector to achieve that goal through the adoption of IPSAS, which is reflected in the developmen
... Show MoreBackground: Diabetic patients have been reported to be more susceptible to gingivitis and periodontitis than healthy subjects. Many intracellular enzymes like (alkaline phosphatase- (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase- (AST) and alanine aminotransferase- (ALT) that are released outside cells into the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and saliva after destruction of periodontal tissue during periodontitis. This study was conducted to determine the periodontal health status and the levels of salivary enzymes (ALP, AST and ALT) of the study and control groups and to correlate the levels of these enzymes with clinical periodontal parameters in each study group. Subjects, Materials and Methods: One hundred subjects were enrolled in the study, with a
... Show MoreBackground: Knowledge is considered to be essential for developing healthy practices and preventing the main oral diseases. In some developing countries, women were at higher risk to develop these diseases. This study was conducted to evaluate women’s dental knowledge and practices through a specific questionnaire and the relationship with patient’s educational level and the number of their children. Subjects and method: Women, aged from 25-35 years old, were selected to participate in the current study. They were attending dental clinics in the teaching hospital of Baghdad University. Each participant was instructed to answer questionnaire sheet which is previously prepared in Arabic language by the authors. The total numb
... Show MoreThis study aimed to find out the impact of work-life balance on employee satisfaction in five-star hotels in Amman, Jordan based on a descriptive analytical approach. The questionnaire of the survey was designed and distributed to a sample of participants in order to collect the necessary data for this study and they were analyzed later through the SPSS V22 program. The study population was the hotel sector in Jordan, while the study sample included the five-star hotels in the capital, Amman, and the sampling unit included the employees of the middle and lower levels of management in the five-star hotels in Amman. The study showed a number of results, including the existence of a good level of work-life balance by employees in top manage-me
... Show MoreEmily Bronte is born in Yorkshire on 30 July 1818. Her father, Rev. Patrick Bronte, is a man of intelligence and determination which enables him to gain an admission as a sizar to 81. John's Cambridge in 1802. He has six children where Emily is the fifth. The mother is a young beautiful girl who belong to an important family. Both Emily's parents try to teach
Their children well, support them all the time and elevate them to
"-.../
high levels. This causes an eagerness towards reading and writing, but the happiness of the children is affected by the sickness and later on by the death of their mother in 1821. After that things would
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