Patients with an increased risk for bacterial endocarditis should rinse with chlorhexidine how long before treatments?

Patients at increased risk for bacterial endocarditis are often recommended to use chlorhexidine as a pre-treatment rinse to reduce the levels of oral bacteria before a dental procedure. Rinsing with chlorhexidine pre-operatively aligns with guidelines that suggest using antimicrobial mouth rinses to minimize the risk of bacteremia during dental treatments. This proactive approach helps create a safer environment by decreasing the bacterial load in the oral cavity, which can otherwise enter the bloodstream during dental procedures.

Rinsing immediately before a procedure would provide a temporary reduction in bacteria but may not be sufficient to achieve optimal results. Similarly, rinsing one hour or two days before does not align with the current recommendations, as the goal is to ensure that the rinse is performed close enough to the procedure to be effective without allowing time for bacteria to repopulate. Therefore, pre-operative rinsing with chlorhexidine is effective in preparing patients adequately and safely for their treatments.