I have a mitro valve prolapse and have been needing my wisodom teeth taken care of for over a year. Its a hassle to find a dentist alone but now that I finally found one he says I need to be premedicated before he even sees me and needs a clearance from my primary care doctor. Anyway, I was wondering if it was necessary to tell dentists about my mvp all the time (my mother scared me because she has it too)... and how do teeth effect the heart? I dont understand the connection I guess.

thanks
mel

and how do teeth effect the heart? I dont understand the connection I guess.

First of all, surprisingly, there is a strong correlation between periodontal (gum) disease and heart attack/stroke. Who knew?

But totally unrelated to that is your problem.

The problem with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is that is is susceptible to blood-borne infections. As you can probably guess, the mouth is chock full of bacteria, and that's why people with MVP are told to inform their dentist and hygienist before getting any dental work or cleaning done. They usually will prescribe an antibiotic to prevent infection in the heart valve that's affected.

Take a peek at the American Heart ***. website. They just changed the pre-med criteria for various conditions previously considered. Its worth a read...very surprised :eek: your cardiologist has not impress upon you your risks. ;)