I have amoxicillin 500mg says take four capsules an hour before dental appointment .that seems like a lot! is this normal?

It is normal: If you have cardiac condition that needs prophylactic medication , that is pretty standard . In some cases you may have to take through IV and another type of medication. This is to put higher blood concentration of the drug should there is a chance that bacteria is released in large quantity . The high antibiotic level will allow the bacteria killed before they have access to your heart

No: A one time dose of 2 gm (2000 mg) is a large dose, but not unheard of. You can always call the doctor that prescribed it to see if the prescription was written correctly.

Normal. : No this is the usual dose of prophylaxis for endocarditis.

Normal: Normal prophylaxis dosage of Amoxicillin for a dental procedure is 2, 000mg 1-2 s prior to the procedurehour.

Amoxicillin: That was the originally accepted pre-medication dosage for patients who need to take antibiotic prior to dental procedures for whatever the reason, prosthetic hip or knees, organic heart murmurs... But the cardiologists, and orthopedists have backed off on the need for antibiotic pre-medication to prevent infection or endocarditis in many instances that routinely required the medication before.