Islamic fasting and oral health and diseases

Fasting is a religious obligation, which can be challenging for individuals with oral conditions due to its stringent code of conduct. Moreover, food abstinence during fasting can restrict oral feeding even further in patients whose nutrition has been already compromised. Previous research has mainly concentrated on oral hygiene and gum health, disregarding orodental conditions and diseases. This highlights the importance of further research in this regard. In this paper, we intended to clarify the correlation between fasting and oral injections, bleeding following tooth extraction, and brushing to overcome common misconceptions which indicate the breach of religious disciplines under such circumstances. We also aimed to determine the grave effects of fasting on health in case of severe immunological deficiencies, chronic oral ulcers and certain drug administration protocols for those with rigid religious beliefs

Investigation of periodontal conditions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Periodontal disease with alveolar bone resorption and tooth loss is common in rheumatoid arthritis [RA]. RA subjects show inadequate plaque control due to physical disability as well as compromised immune response, both of which might result in a greater predisposition to periodontal disease in these subjects than in the normal population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of periodontal disease among rheumatoid arthritis patients. Periodontal status [plaque index, papillary bleeding index, and missing teeth] was examined in 70 individuals including 35 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis and 35 healthy individuals as control group. The results were analyzed using SPSS software and student /-test Patients with rheumatoid arthritis included 31 females [88.6%] and 4 males [11.4%] with a mean age of 45 years. Healthy control group included 26 females [74.3%] and 9 males [25.7%] with a mean age of 37 years. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis showed significant increases in Plaque index [P=0.0001], papillary bleeding index [P=0.002], and number of missing teeth [P=0.03] compared to the healthy control group. Three patients also had secondary Sjogren's syndrome. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis had a greater level of periodontal disorders compared to control group. In addition to the effects of this chronic inflammatory disease and immune host deficiened, this could be attributed to physical disability in maintaining oral health and gingival effects of and rheumatic medications

effect of sleep deprivation on choice reaction time and anaerobic power of college student athletes

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of one night's sleep deprivation on anaerobic performance and Reaction time of subjects in the morning of the following day. Eighteen male college student athletes were studied twice in a balanced, randomized design. Subjects were measured for peak power, mean power and Reaction time. The performance showed no significant difference in both tests of anaerobic power [peak power, mean power] over the sleep deprivation period [P= 0.3; P= 0.4 respectively], but reaction time differed signi?cantly from baseline [P=0.003]. Results support the hypothesis that sleep serves a function of cognitive restitution, particularly in the maintenance of attentional mechanisms. In the light of the above considerations. It was concluded that short-term sleep deprivation is not effective on anaerobic performance, but adversely affects cognitive function such as Reaction Time