The iodoform strip is a piece of cloth dipped in iodoform powder.

In dentistry, iodoform strips are used to drain or cover a wound. Here you can see a patient with an abscess, an inner incision has been performed. In order fto allow pus to flow out of the wound, it is covered by a iodoform – otherwise it would close up.

The iodoform strip kills bacteria, meaning that it keeps bacteria from multiplying, while at the same time keeping a wound from healing up, so that blood and pus can flow out of it. Such strips are often used when removing wisdonm teeth. This allows blood to flow out, and prevents a hematoma (a bruise) from forming. Bruises often turn into connective tissue, resulting in a bulge, which would not look too good. Iodoform strips are usually removed after 1 to 2 days, but caution must be exercised when dealing with patients who are allergic to iodine!

There may be some bleeding once the strip is removed, but the funny taste caused by this also goes away eventually. Iodoform strips should not be applied after normal tooth extraction, since the coagulated blood which forms after these procedures is also removed – and the wound must be re-treated, as the coagulated blood acts as a bandage for the bone.