Effectiveness Of Povidine-iodine Fluoride Foam Treatment Against Cariogenic Bacteria In 6-9 Years Old Children In China

Objective: The objective of the present prospective study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of povidine-iodine/fluoride foam treatment on the levels of salivary Mutans streptococci (ms) and lactobacilli (lb). Method: Sixty-one 6-9 years old children with at least one active dental cavity were randomly assigned into two groups, and weekly treated with either povidine-iodine/fluoride foam (n=30, experiemental group) or placebo fluoride foam(n=31,control group) over 4 weeks. Stimulated saliva samples were collected each time prior to the treatment and 1 month as well as 4 months after the final foam treatment. The samples were cultured and colony forming units were enumerated. Results: A constant decrease of salivary ms was observed during the foam treatment and a plateau effect was achieved over the following 4 months comparing with the baseline in both the two groups. Moreover, the povidine-iodine/fluoride foam resulted in a higher decrease of salivary ms levels during the period of 4 successive foam treatments compared with the placebo fluoride foam. However, total cultivable facultative bacteria and lb levels in saliva remained stable during the treatment for both the two groups and no statistically significant differences were investigated. Conclusion: The results indicate that weekly application of povidine iodine fluoride foam over four weeks could lead to a significant suppression on salivary ms levels for four months without affecting the total cultivable facultative flora. And the repeated application of povidine iodine fluoride foam might lead to a long term suppression of salivary ms levels among the high-caries-risk children.