Influence of Different Denture Adhesives on Patient-based Outcomes

Objectives: Researches objectively investigated the effect of different denture adhesive (DA) forms on denture retention, stability, and masticatory efficiency. Few researchers investigated the effect of DA on patient-based outcomes; however mostly using only one DA form. This study investigated the influence of different DA forms on patient satisfaction (PS) and Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL).
Methods: This cross-over study included 30 edentulous participants. Conventional dentures were constructed and three DA forms were used: paste (PADA), powder (PODA), and cushions (CUDA). Participants wore their dentures 3 months without DA (control) then 3 months with each DA form, with a two-week washout period. The sequence of DA forms used was randomly assigned for each participant. PS and OHRQoL assessments were carried out using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Oral Health Impact Profile in Edentulous Adults (OHIP-EDENT) respectively. Average retentive duration of each DA was also evaluated. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: All DA forms significantly improved OHRQoL in all domains and significantly increased overall PS (p<0.05). PODA showed the lowest PS levels in all aspects. CUDA were significantly superior to PADA in all aspects except stability (p=0.51) and chewing ability (p=0.62). As for OHRQoL, there were significant differences between PODA and the other two DAs only in the physical pain and physical disability domains (p<0.05). There were significant differences (p<0.05) in the retentive duration among the three DAs with the CUDA showing the longest duration and PODA the shortest.
Conclusions: Irrespective of its form, DA significantly improved OHRQoL and PS levels in edentulous patients. Cushions provided greater satisfaction levels in most aspects, and were more retentive than the paste, followed by the powder form. OHRQoL outcomes were comparable except for the physical pain and physical disability domains which were significantly better with cushion and paste adhesives.