My son is 14 and needs teeth cleaning. i was also told thathe has a heart murmur. are antibiotics needed?

Antibiotics: Ask your doctor about the aha guidelines for SBE prophylactic antibiotics. More information is needed to answer your question.

Probably not: Usually not. Most common structural(congenital) heart defects do not require antibiotics for routine dental care in 2012. Also most heart murmurs are not caused by heart defects and are "innocent" . Nevertheless it may be a good idea for a pediatric cardiologist to examine him.

It depends.: Most murmurs heard are normal sounds and don't require antibiotics. There are certain heart conditions that may cause a murmur that do require antibiotics. Your doctor should know whether or not antibiotics are required.

No.: According to the latest guideline from both american heart association and american dental association, any heart murmur alone does not need premedication prior to dental work. Even mitral valve relapse with regurgitation won't need antibiotic prophylaxis now. Study showed that unnecessary antibiotics before dental work gives you more risk than benefits.