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The belief that dentures should be left in during bag-mask ventilation because they provide support for the mask is long-standing. To test this theory, investigators randomized 165 edentulous elective-anesthesia patients to undergo bag-mask ventilation, by a resident or an attending anesthesiologist, either with dentures in place (84) or with dentures removed (81) after general anesthesia was induced.
Successful bag-mask ventilation was defined as an end-tidal CO2 trace that rose by 20 mm Hg and then fell back to baseline with each breath, without exceeding 20 cm H2O inspiratory pressure. Successful ventilation was achieved in significantly more patients with dentures in than with dentures out (73% vs. 49%). Adjustment for age, obesity, pres…