Are preprocedural mouth rinses recommended to reduce contamination from aerosols and spatter?
Antimicrobial mouth rinses used by patients before a dental procedure are intended to reduce the number of microorganisms released by a patient in the form of aerosols or spatter that subsequently can contaminate equipment, operatory surfaces, and dental health care personnel. No scientific evidence indicates that preprocedural mouth rinsing prevents clinical infections among patient or dental health care personnel. However, studies have shown that a preprocedural rinse with a product containing an antimicrobial product (e.g., chlorhexidine gluconate, essential oils, povidone iodine) can reduce the level of oral microorganisms generated in aerosols or spatter during routine dental procedures with rotary instruments (e.g., dental handpieces, ultrasonic scalers). Preprocedural mouth rinses can be most beneficial before procedures (e.g., prophylaxis cup or ultrasonic scaling) where a rubber dam cannot be used to minimize aerosol and spatter.
