"Informed" consent in adult patients: can we achieve a gold standard?

In maxillofacial surgery the removal of mandibular third molars (wisdom teeth) attracts more litigation than any other procedure. The amount of information required for a patient to give valid consent is well-known, but there is no "gold standard" currently accepted. We aimed to define the components of such a gold standard and apply them to a group of patients. An audit was then made of the patients' recall and understanding of the process. The gold standard was only partially met in most cases, yet most patients felt that the process had been appropriate to their needs. Obtaining informed consent for the removal of mandibular third molars is difficult.