Heart murmurs and the dentist.

It's standard when you or your child goes to the dentist for the first time that you'll be questioned about the presence of a heart murmur. Many people are not sure why this is asked. Does it mean that dental procedures or anesthesia could have serious cardiac consequences such as heart damage or abnormal rhythms if there is a heart murmur present?

To understand this concern, one must understand exactly what having a murmur means. A murmur itself is merely a sound that is heard when the heart beats. That "sound" or "murmur" can be due to one of two reasons. In one instance, there is nothing at all abnormal about the heart. Because of variations in the shape of a …