Preventing post-treatment bacteremia: comparing topical povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine.

It is well known that the occurrence of bacteremia after dental procedures can place certain patients at risk for bacterial endocarditis. The authors compared the efficacy of two antiseptic agents in the prevention of post-treatment bacteremia in 120 dental patients. Before treatment, dentists irrigated the gingival sulcus of each patient with 10 percent povidone-iodine, 0.2 percent chlorhexidine or sterile water. The authors report lower levels of bacteremia among patients treated with the povidone-iodine solution.