Some dental patients don't need antibiotic pretreatment

The Minnesota Dental Association has adopted new guidelines released by the American Heart Association and the American Dental Association stating that antibiotics routinely taken prior to dental procedures by patients with heart conditions may no longer be necessary. The new guidelines are based on research showing that the risk associated with the use of preventive antibiotics may outweigh the risk for patients with heart conditions. Antibiotic pretreatment is no longer necessary for rheumatic heart disease, mitral valve prolapse, bicuspid valve disease, calcified aortic stenosis, and certain congenital heart conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Antibiotics are still recommended for patients with artificial heart valves, heart transplant patients with cardiac valve problems, and patients with other congenital conditions. A complete list of affected conditions can be found on the ADA Web site at