Question

What role does pre-procedural rinsing play in preventing clinical infections among patients or DHCP? 

Answer 1

Pre procedural rinsing means antimicrobial or antiseptic mouth rinse used before a treatment procedure begins.

Pre procedural Mouthrinses are used in densitry for a number of reasons

• To control aerosols released into the surrounding environment
• To prevent bad breath
• To reduce the number of bacteria introduced into the patients bloodstream.

In the text book Infection Control and Management of Hazardous Materials for the dental team, Miller and Palenik write,"The application of antiseptics to the skin or mucus membranes before surgery or injections has been practiced for many years.The goal of such application is to reduce the number of microorganisms on the surface to prevent their entry to the underlying tissues, which could cause bacteremia, septicemia, or local harmful infections.The use of an antimicrobial mouthrinse by the patients before dental procedures is based on a similar princple of reducing the number of microorganisms.This reduction also reduces te number of microorganisms that may escape a patients mouth during dental care through aerosols, spatter, or direct contact.

Mouthrinsing alone, however provided the most reliable reductions with an average 97% decrease in recovered bacteria over the narrow range of 92% to 95%( mean reduction: 98%) .Investigators also looked at individual mouthwashes and their efficacy at controlling bacteria counts.Whether the active ingredient was a quaternary ammonium compound, a phenol essential oils,or zinc chloride, reductions in bacterial aerosols produced during dental procedures. and thereby have the effect of reducing the densists chance of receiving pathogenic organisms from his patient while providing treatment.

Research published in 1978 by Muir and colleagues found that a two minute rinse with chlorhexidine gluconate significantly reduced bacteria in aerosals produced by ultrasonic scalers.

Various Mouthrinsers used in dentistry

• Chlorhexidine
• Essential oils
• Fluorides
• Oxygenating agents
• Cosmetic antiseptic mouthwashes
• Prebrushing rinses

No scientific evidence indicates that preprocedural mouth rinses prevents clinical infections among staffs and patients.Antimicromrobial mouth rinses used by patients are intended to reduce the number of oral microorganisms in aerosols generated during routine dental procedures.