Should I premedicate before a dental appointment if I have mitral valve prolapse?

According to the American Heart Associations guidlines from 2007, you should not. The guidelines say that patients with:mitral valve prolapse. rheumatic heart disease, bicuspid valve disease, calcified aortic stenosis, congenital heart conditions such as ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy no longer need to take any prophylactic antiobiotic premedication.

The guidelines do recommend antiobiotic premedication for patients with the following conditions:

1)artificial heart valves

2)a history of infective endocarditis

3)certain specific, serious congenital (present from birth) heart conditions, including :

• unrepaired or incompletely repaired cyanotic congenital heart disease, including those with palliative shunts and conduits
  
• a completely repaired congenital heart defect with prosthetic material or device, whether placed by surgery or by catheter intervention, during the first six months after the procedure
  
• any repaired congenital heart defect with residual defect at the site or adjacent to the site of a prosthetic patch or a prosthetic device
  

4) a cardiac transplant that develops a problem in a heart valve

This information was obtained from the American Dental Association Website. To view the original article please follow this link http://www.ada.org/public/topics/antibiotics.asp

*I would like to add this post script. I have heard that a number of hospitals are still recommending antibiotic premedication for patients with mitral valve prolapse with 'significant regurgitation'. If you have any questions about your own condition it is still best to consult with your own personal physician about whether you should premedicate prior to a dental visit.