Some factors affecting retention forces with the use of denture fixatives in vivo

Using the UCL retentiometer, the effect of three proprietary denture fixatives has been clinically investigated in 14 dentate subjects wearing mucosal-borne acrylic palatal plates over periods of 6 hours. The results showed that retention forces with saliva for the well-fitting plates were significantly better when compared with the forces for the ill-fitting plates. A substantial improvement in retention on all occasions was seen for both types of plate after the application of fixatives. An interesting observation of this study was that the use of paste and liquid fixatives rendered the ill-fitting plates as retentive as the well-fitting plates with the same fixatives. The test fixatives, however, showed significant differences regarding the onset and duration of action, depending on their physical formulation. The paste and liquid fixatives were found to have more delayed action than the powder fixative, but maintained the improved retention for a post-insertion period of more than 6 hours for both well-fitting and ill-fitting plates. Investigation of the effect on retention of different quantities of fixatives showed that larger amounts were associated with greater retention. The findings of these studies predict that a single application of 0.6 ml of either the paste or liquid fixatives used in this study is a recommended quantity which would provide and maintain the desirable retention for more than 6 hours in most cases of well-fitting complete dentures and those with retention problems. The powder fixatives though very effective immediately, would, however, require repeated applications every 3 hours or so, depending to some extent upon the use that the product will be put to.