Recommendations from the WHO for Oral Hygiene Awareness Month this September
September is Oral Hygiene Awareness month. The WHO has included Povidone-iodine in their recommendations for essential oral care services and as has the SA Dental Association locally.
Betadine® Mouthwash & Gargle contains Povidone-iodine.
A very interesting fact is that NASA used Betadine® to wash the Apollo-11 upon its return from space in 1963. Betadine® has also been a focal agent in supporting the fight of almost every viral outbreak since the sixties, please see below info on studies done showing that Betadine® products prove 99.99% effective against COVID-19.
Three Betadine® products, known and used in many homes, hospitals, and dental clinics across South Africa, have proven effective against the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19.
The products tested include Betadine® Mouthwash and Gargle, Betadine® Surgical Scrub, and Betadine® Antiseptic Solution. Laboratory testing conducted at the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore showed strong in-vitro virucidal activity, killing 99.99% of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in 30 seconds1, and in the Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Center (TIDREC) study at the University of Malaysia9, direct evidence was presented of the virucidal activity of Betadine® Mouthwash & Gargle and against SARS-CoV-2 in just 15 seconds.
Mundipharma, the distributor of Betadine® products, announced these results after the TIDREC research9 was accepted by the British Dental Journal (BDJ) and published as a Letter on 26 June 2020, and the Duke-NUS research was published in the respected Infectious Disease and Therapy Journal on 08 July 20201.
Betadine® products contain povidone-iodine (PVP-I), which has been widely used throughout the world as an antiseptic since the middle of last century. Shannon te Roller, General Manager of Mundipharma South Africa, says, “Betadine® products with PVP-I have been well accepted in South Africa for home use and by the medical community for decades, with benefits that include no reported antimicrobial resistance, fast-acting, a long-lasting effect, and extremely low allergenicity on skin 3.”
The TIDREC research concludes that the broad-spectrum antimicrobial and rapid virucidal activity of PVP-I products against SARS-CoV-2 suggests its importance in infection control. It goes on to note that, as an additional protective barrier to PPE, these products may reduce disease transmission. PVP-I is easily administered and has been used in both hospital and community settings for more than 55 years* and can thus be readily integrated into existing infection control protocols. PVP-I based products can be used as part of infection control measures during the COVID-19 pandemic and can augment health and hygiene measures to reduce the spread of COVID-191.
Up-to-the-minute scientific research7,8,9 backs up the use and efficacy of Betadine® against the novel coronavirus, and across the world in a variety of medical disciplines including orthopaedic surgery10, dentistry and dental surgery, and ENT surgery 11, 12 13. The use of PVP-I has been recommended in protocols in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In SA, the South African Dental Association (SADA), recommends its use during patient treatment and pre-operatively, stating that, to this end, the most important method for reducing the viable bacterial and viral load is through pre-procedural rinsing with PVP-I (0.23% to 1%) or 1% hydrogen peroxide rinse2.
Betadine® Mouthwash and Gargle is recommended for use for infections of mouth and throat at full strength, or as a mouthwash, diluted one part with two parts of water; Betadine® Surgical Scrub is used for disinfecting hands in the medical and dental profession; and Betadine® Antiseptic Ointment is used to effectively stop bacteria, fungi, and viruses from infecting injuries caused by minor daily accidents.
Past studies have also shown that PVP-I has the broadest antimicrobial activity of available antiseptics and has been used to combat the spread of infection against a wide range of viruses, including highly pathogenic and low pathogenic influenza viruses (H1N1, H3N2, H1N2, H5N3, H7N7, and HpN2), and SARS and MERS coronaviruses. In all instances, rapid virucidal activity has been demonstrated with both Betadine® Mouthwash and Gargle and Betadine® Surgical Scrub3,4,5,6.
