The Effect of Two Types of Denture Adhesive on the Satisfaction Parameters of Complete Denture Wearers

Statement of Problem: Patient satisfaction is highly influenced by the retention of the denture. In some instances using denture adhesives may help the patient to achieve this goal.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the participants’ ’opinion concerning the effectiveness of two types of denture adhesives having the same composition (Fixative-powder, Protefix-cream).Materials and Methods: Forty healthy patients (25 Males and 15 Females) who visited the Department of Prosthodontics of Shiraz Dentistry School were selected. The oral cavity was examined and patients with oral ulcers, history of allergic reaction, severe xerostomia, red, white and/or red and white lesions were excluded. The subjects were instructed to receive a sequence of treatment protocols. All patients applied Fixative-powder on the dentures for seven days. The Participants were asked to fill a questionnaire to include their opinion regarding the strength, biocompatibility, convenience and masticatory ability of the adhesive. On the next seven days, the patients were asked not to use the adhesives and they completed the same questionnaire again. Finally, all participants were asked to apply Protefix-cream on their dentures for a week followed by no cream application for another 7 days. These patients answered the same questionnaire and data were collected and analyzed using paired-samples t-test and Chi-square test.Result: Denture adhesives significantly improved the overall satisfaction level of the patients (p =0.01). When testing the fixative powder, the satisfaction score of the participants during the first week (powder application) and the 2nd weak (no application) was 19.95±3.76 and 26.2±2.82, respectively. The overall satisfaction rate of the patients using the Protefix adhesive was 19.35±5.48 in the third week (adhesive application) and 25.85±4.35 in the fourth week (no application).Conclusions: The study clarified that applying denture adhesives (both types) markedly improved the satisfaction rate in complete denture wearers without any complications. Further studies on a larger group is suggested to determine which kind of denture adhesive is more effective and if there is any possible side effects that restrict the use of such substances.