Sleep plays a crucial role in the proper functioning of various body systems. Inadequate sleep is prevalent in adolescents and adults and poses significant health consequences. Modern attitudes and lifestyles set individuals up for failure in obtaining the proper amount of sleep. The body needs a delicate balance of the correct quantity and quality of sleep. This course will define the science of the sleep cycle, stress, cardiovascular disease, immune response, inflammatory response, diabetes, obesity, and oral connections as related to sleep.
Educational objectives
- Define quality sleep, sleep hygiene, and the appropriate amount of sleep for optimal health
- Outline the science of sleep and how it affects the human body
- Describe the systemic effects of sleep loss
- Associate the systemic effects of sleep loss with oral manifestations
About the Authors
Noor Ajaz, RDH, graduated summa cum laude from Collin College in the top 10% of her hygiene class. She is passionate about the connection between oral and systemic health. Since researching the effects of sleep loss on oral health, Noor has incorporated sleep hygiene practices into her nightly routine and improved her quality and quantity of sleep. She is motivated to continue sleep research to better educate patients about the oral-systemic link and hopes to become more involved in sleep dentistry.
Alise Plemmons, RDH, is an honors graduate from Collin College and a former member of the United States Air Force. Alise is passionate about studying and understanding how sleep quality and quantity can also affect the body and the oral cavity. She strives to understand the varying complexities of the body and mind pertaining to sleep and oral health to better impart knowledge and awareness to fellow hygienists and patients.
Kandice Swarthout, RDH, LPC, is a licensed counselor and a full-time educator in Texas, where she teaches community dentistry and research. Kandice is the owner of Inspired Education & Wellness, where she is a speaker, writer, and private practice therapist. She is an approved provider under Texas Health and Human Services for human trafficking training for health-care professionals. Read her articles in RDH magazine, DentistryIQ, Today’s RDH, and her Facebook blog, Fearless Compassion: Stories of Personal Triumph. Contact her at kandiceswarthout.com or on social media @The Counselor Hygienist.
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