Sandybeech

They make you remove your dentures in order to protect your airway. They do not want them coming loose during surgery or get damaged when they put the breathing tube into your throat.

I have heard that patients can request that their dentures be returned to them as soon as they are able to swallow and their gag reflex has returned.

A friend whom I chat with is an operating room nurse and denture wearer and she says they try to comply with the patients wishes when ever it is possible. The one concern they always have about the patient getting as far as the prep area for the operating room with their dentures in place is when they are removed, they cannot guarantee security of them. They suggest they be left in the patients room or with a family member.

As far as what the doctors and nurses will think of you without your teeth- no less than when you have them in. She tells me they are so clinically detached from things like a person without their dentures or a cancer patient without their wig- they treat all patients with dignity and respect. You will be treated the same way.

As far as how to deal with your husband and this sensitive issue, maybe it is time to have a long talk with him. Tell him your reasons for not letting him see you without your teeth and ask what his feelings would be if he saw you that way. My husband sees me without mine every night, it was something we talked about before it was a done deal and we have not changed our thoughts or love for one another. I trust him.

Have you discussed your dentures with your surgeon? It might be a good idea to mention your concerns before you are at the hospital.

Concentrate on getting well-

Sandy