ok, I know this isn't OP(sorry, Molly),(in my defense I am a long-time OP-er:) but, I've been putting 4-6 drops of
Lugol's in my waterpik...my inspiration here:
http://iodine4health.com/research/venturi_2005_iodine_salivary_glands.doc
"Many researchers (28-31) and Wharton [32] reported that immunodeficiency and malnutrition in adolescence and
Iodine deficiency and dental caries are associated. In 1939, Hardgrove [33] reported that “in his community (Fond du Lac, Wis, USA), since the beginning of administration of
Iodine to prevent goitre, children have less caries.
Iodine seems to increase resistance to caries, retarding the process and reducing its incidence."
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http://jada.ada.org/cgi/reprint/133/8/1047.pdf
TWO TREATMENTS FIGHT CARIES
"Two new treatments to prevent caries have been reported recently. In the July issue of Nature Biotechnology, a collaboration of European scientists led by Swedish researcher Lennart Hammarström described a study they conducted to see whether the bacterium Lactobacillus zeae could be engineered to produce an antibody that was effective against a pathogen that causes caries over long periods. When researchers administered the engineered L. zeae to rats that had been infected with the caries-causing pathogen Streptococcus mutans, they found the bacterium reduced not only the number of pathogenic bacteria, but also the number of cavities they produced. In contrast to an antibody given alone that is quickly broken down, removed from the mouth or both, L. zeae was able to persist in the mouth for three weeks and continually fight the bacteria that cause caries."
"As L. zeae bacterium is regarded as safe for use in humans, researchers said the
new approach seems promising for use in dental treatments to protect against dental caries. In a study reported in the June issue of Pediatric Dentistry, researchers investigated the effectiveness of iodine in preventing early childhood cavities.
They applied 10 percent solution of iodine to the teeth and gingivae of 83 children 12 to 19 months of age. The subjects were healthy, free of cavities and received a bottle containing a beverage other than water at naptime or bedtime. They also
were tested for the presence of S. mutans."
"The iodine solution was applied to the teeth and gingivae of 39 children every second month, while unsweetened tea was applied to the teeth and gingivae of the 44 control subjects. Researchers found that 91 percent of the subjects who received the iodine solution were free of cavities after 12 months compared with 54 percent of the control subjects."
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http://www.cdafoundation.org/journal/jour0203/denbesten.htm
"One promising approach is the use of topical iodine formulations, which are approved for pediatric use and have prolonged suppressive effects on oral reservoirs of mutans streptococci. They may also suppress lactobacilli. A recent study (unpublished) in which ECC children were treated with 10 percent povidone iodine while undergoing their restorative procedures showed that mutans streptococci and lactobacilli were markedly reduced for up to three months. Details of that study will be published elsewhere."
"Perhaps the relationship between iodine and fluoride explains why laboratory studies show fluoride increases decay. By ingesting fluoride you can inhibit iodine and therefore the thyroid. Several large blinded human studies and on animals show that fluoride had no beneficial effect in reducing decay and in some studies increased the damage. Remember that fluoride like mercury is a cumulative poison and the less you are exposed to such a poison the better off you will be."
Iodine as an Oral Bactericidal Agent
"Iodine is among the most potent of bactericidal agents. Its effect is not time-dependent; once bacterial contact is made, its action is immediately lethal. Iodine has excellent penetrability into dental plaques.37,38 These characteristics make it an excellent agent for oral use. Earlier studies by Gibbons and coworkers showed that a single two-minute application of a 2 percent iodine/potassium iodine ( I2-KI ) solution eliminated mutans streptococci from accessible human tooth sites for up to 13 weeks.39 In 1977, Caufield and Gibbons showed that a dental prophylaxis followed by three applications of a 2 percent I2-KI solution significantly reduced mutans streptococci levels in fissure and proximal-surface plaques and saliva. Reductions persisted for 20 to 24 weeks in proximal plaque and saliva; fissure plaques were significantly suppressed for four weeks but gradually returned to baseline levels in the absence of dietary restrictions."
"Recently, the influence of bimonthly topical application of 10 percent povidone iodine was assessed in a placebo-controlled double-blind clinical trial in preventing the development of white spot lesions on the maxillary primary incisors of Puerto Rican babies at high risk for developing early childhood caries.41 The study population consisted of 83 subjects (age 12 to 19 months, 40 female and 43 male). The healthy caries-free children were included in the study if they had four maxillary primary incisors with no visible defects, used a nursing bottle at naptime and/or bedtime that contained a cariogenic substrate, and had two consecutive mutans streptococci positive cultures from pooled maxillary primary incisor plaque. The subjects were randomized into two groups that were evaluated every two months during the study period. At each evaluation, the subjects had 10 percent povidone iodine (experimental group) or placebo (control group) applied to their dentition. The results of this study showed that the children who received topical treatment with 10 percent povidone iodine were significantly more likely to remain caries-free."
"Collectively, the preceding information strongly suggests that topical iodine agents are efficacious for preventing dental caries in babies and young preschool children at high risk for this disease. Dr. Reed Snow, director of the Delta Dental special programs in California, has many times stated over the past several years that it is time for a paradigm shift in our understanding of caries etiology, prevention, and treatment. The use of safe and effective means to inhibit bacterial transmission subsequent infection should be at the cornerstone of this paradigm shift."
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http://iodine4health.com/research/symbollon_antimicrobial_applications.doc
Use of Molecular Iodine in the Oral Cavity
"Symbollon is has developed a liquid formulation of molecular iodine in a mouthrinse matrix and is planning to submit an IND to the FDA based upon this composition. In the late 1970s researchers at the University of Florida ran controlled clinical trials to evaluate the ability of molecular iodine to inhibit plaque formation and to treat gingivitis. These researchers evaluated 10% povidone-iodine versus a number of other treatments including a 50/50 mixture of 10% povidone-iodine and 3% hydrogen peroxide. Although they were unaware of it, mixing hydrogen peroxide with PVP causes the formation of molecular iodine via the reaction of
Iodide with hydrogen peroxide. In essence, these researchers were improving the 5% PVP formulation without knowing it. The literature citations for these articles is shown below: ·1 Clark WB, Magnusson I, Walker CB, Marks RG. Efficacy of Perimed amtibacteria; system on established gingivitis. J. Clinical Periodontology 1989;16:630-35. A 6-month, double-blind study was conducted on 101 subjects with established gingivitis. The following four different mouthrinses were used: (1) 5% PVP, (2) 5% PVP in 1.5% hydrogen peroxide, (3) 1.5% hydrogen peroxide, and (4) water. Gingivitis and plaque was assessed at baseline, 3, 12 and 24 weeks. Gingivitis was evaluated using the papillary bleeding score (PBS) index and plaque was evaluated with the Quigley-Hein plaque index (PI). After baseline subjects received a supragingival scaling and a subgingival irrigation with their respective rinse. Subjects rinsed every day and every three weeks they received a subgingival irrigation. The data indicates that both the 5% PVP and 5% PVP/1.5%
H2O2 (Hydrogen-Peroxid) mouthrinses significantly reduced gingival inflammation and that the greatest reduction was obtained when the concentration of molecular iodine was increased by combining hydrogen peroxide with 5% PVP."