Maintenance prior to dropping everything back in the car

Regarding the freeze plugs. I'm 99% sure they were changed when the engine was redone about 4-5 years ago. They were a shiny brass prior to me painting the block. With that said, wouldn't I run the risk of getting crap into the engine by taking them out? My engine is complete and I wont be able to clean out anything that falls in there due to removal, such as paint chips.