In oral surgery povidine–iodine is used for irrigating alveolar sockets of mandibular impacted molars following surgical removal. The Dental surgeons involved in this study did irrigation of extraction sockets with povidone–iodine which led to arrest of bleeding in patients. Fifty patients were selected and divided equally into treatment and control groups. Povidone–iodine (175mg) was used for irrigation of extraction sockets in the treatment group and saline was used in the control group. In the treatment group, 20 patients showed cessation of bleeding compared to only 5 in the control group. Povidone–iodine significantly (P < 0.01) controlled bleeding as compared to saline. Iodine is corrosive due to its oxidizing potential character while povidone is a thickening and granulating agent; together they may have a chemocauterization effect that could be the reason for the cessation of bleeding. These results suggest that povidone–iodine act as an antiseptic as well as a hemostyptic agents .