What do patients want to happen to their dentures before surgery?

The removal of dentures before having an anaesthetic can be an undignified and distressing event. However, there has been a gradual change in practice and dentures are now often left in place during an anaesthetic. This enquiry into patients' preferences was carried out to find out what patients would like to happen to their dentures, and to see if there were any differences in opinions among age groups. A postal questionnaire was sent out to patients who wore dentures following discharge after surgery. One hundred replies were analysed. There was a spread of opinions across the age groups and by gender. Nurses need to allow patients the choice of what to do in relation to their dentures when going to theatre, although the anaesthetist must make the final decision of whether or not to remove them immediately before the anaesthetic if they feel patient safety could be compromised.