Denture adhesives improve mastication in denture wearers.

Area of Science:

• Dental prosthetics
• Oral health
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Masticatory function is crucial for nutrition and quality of life in denture wearers.
• Denture adhesives (DA) are commonly used to improve denture stability and retention.
• The impact of DA on masticatory function, particularly concerning denture-bearing ridge status, requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the influence of denture adhesive (DA) use on masticatory function.
• To assess how denture-bearing ridge status affects the efficacy of DA on mastication.

Main Methods:

• Thirty edentulous subjects with new, well-fitting dentures were categorized by ridge status (normal or resorbed).
• Masticatory performance was assessed using a sieve method, chewing cycle with kinesiography, and ability via a visual analog scale.
• Chewing tests were conducted with and without two types of DA (cream and strips), with data analyzed using mixed-effects models and appropriate statistical comparisons.

Main Results:

• Denture adhesive use significantly enhanced masticatory performance and ability in both normal and resorbed ridge groups.
• Subjects with resorbed ridges demonstrated optimal performance with DA cream, followed by DA strips.
• While DA use improved function in normal ridge subjects, the denture-bearing ridge status alone did not significantly alter masticatory function parameters.

Conclusions:

• Denture adhesives effectively improve mastication by reducing chewing cycle duration and enhancing chewing ability and performance.
• DA offers benefits for denture wearers across different ridge statuses.
• Specific DA formulations may yield varied results, particularly in individuals with significant ridge resorption.