Subjective Evaluation of Denture Adhesives in Mandibular Complete Denture Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Edentulism significantly affects oral function and quality of life, particularly among mandibular complete denture wearers, where reduced retention and stability remain common clinical challenges. Denture adhesives are frequently recommended as adjuncts to improve denture performance; however, limited randomized controlled trials have compared different adhesive forms using standardized control conditions. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the short-term subjective effects of cream, powder, and strip-type denture adhesives on satisfaction and functional outcomes in mandibular complete denture wearers.

This randomized controlled trial included 240 completely edentulous participants aged 40-70 years with moderately resorbed mandibular ridges. Participants were randomly allocated into four groups (n = 60 each): cream-type adhesive, strip-type adhesive, powder-type adhesive, and a control group using 0.9% saline solution without adhesive. Subjective outcomes, including general satisfaction, chewing ability, speaking ability, denture cleanliness, retention, and comfort were assessed after 1 week using a five-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using χ ² tests with Bonferroni correction, and a p value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

All adhesive types demonstrated significantly higher satisfaction, improved chewing ability, greater retention, and enhanced comfort compared with the control group (p < 0.001). Speaking ability was improved with cream and strip adhesives (p < 0.001), whereas the powder adhesive showed no significant improvement (p > 0.05). The proportion of participants reporting high satisfaction ranged from 26.7% with powder to 50% with strips, effective chewing from 33.3% with powder to 63.3% with strips, and improved speaking ability from 23.3% with powder to 60% with strips. No significant differences in denture cleanliness were observed between the control and adhesive groups (p > 0.05).

All adhesive types significantly improve short-term satisfaction, mastication, retention, and comfort in mandibular complete denture wearers. Improvements in speaking ability were observed with cream and strip adhesives only, while denture cleanliness or adhesive removal from dentures remained comparable across all groups.

The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (first submitted date: June 24, 2021; identifier number: NCT05063422) and approved by the ethical review committee of Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Pakistan (AIDM/RDRC/01/2021/03).