Practical use of povidone-iodine antiseptic in the maintenance of oral health and in the prevention and treatment of common oropharyngeal infections

Kanagalingam, J.; Feliciano, R.; Hah, J. H.; Labib, H.; Le, T. A.; Lin, J.-C.

The mouth and throat of healthy individuals are known to be inhabited by hundreds of diverse bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses that colonise different surfaces of the oral and oropharyngeal cavities (21, 22) . These micro-organisms may associate to form biofilms, which are resistant to antibiotic treatment. While many micro-organisms can be protective, an ecological shift because of an environmental trigger can initiate a cascade of events that leads to pathogenic changes and ensuing disease (23) . Indeed, the transition from an asymptomatic 'healthy' carrier to invasive disease is reflected by a change in the microbial flora (24) . The exact mechanism of this change is unclear, although poor oral hygiene, a compromised immune response and genetics are thought to play a part (23) . Interestingly, inflammation, the body's defence against injury or infection, has itself been proposed as a mechanism for propagating infection by promoting the growth of dysbiotic microbial communities that have evolved to not only withstand but also exploit the otherwise hostile environment (25) .