Do you need Denture Adhesives??

complete dentures are a complete set of false teeth that made to replace the extracted natural teeth. Denture is the first requirement needed for the patient to be satisfied, no one want to wear a denture that is not fixed in place or fall during speaking or eating food.

Naturally the dentures don’t need adhesives if it is constructed properly , patient have a enough remaining jaw bones height  and healthy salivation . But sometimes the patient spend much time with no denture which may cause jaw bones height  loss  or have any other problems that prevent the denture stability in this cases maybe you will need the assistance of adhesives.

Denture adhesives types and forms :

It is a biocompatible glow that used to bond the denture in place during functions. There are many types and forms  like powder, paste and stripes. Powders comes usually in a small package that has a small opining that helps to distribute the powder regularly, Paste usually comes in a tube resembling the tooth paste tube and stripes looks like the adhesive tape  that comes in a few centimeters long.

So what is the best type for you??

Lets say that we cannot favor one of the previous forms for every one it depends on the case. Some people like the paste form as it gives a good retention other hate it because the excess paste is spilled in the mouth and the over head of cleaning it after denture removal. Others like the powder because the excess powder is not a major problem here but others say that it has a poor adhesion. Even some patients has allergy to one of the adhesives available so they have to avoid it.

So you should try every available type till you reach the one that has the best fit to your needs, sure consulting your dentist will shorten the road.

Do i need denture adhesives:

First we have to concentrate on a very important point ”Adhesives is not the solution for ill fitted rocking denture ”. It is very important for you to know that adhesives should only be used with properly manufactured, fitting, and not rocking denture. If you made a new denture and it is not fitting or rocking or cause sores and ulcers go straight forward to your dentist to repair it. If you neglected the problem and tried to use adhesives the jaw bones will shrink  which will make it very hard for the dentist to repair and may be you will need to make a new denture that can be worse than the first one.

What if you have an old denture that used to be fixed and stable then after a while (A year or so) it becomes un-stable, fall or move during speaking and eating or cause sores and ulcers. Unfortunately denture adhesives are not the answer here this denture needs what we call “relining”. Relining is needed when the dimension of the jaw bones under the denture  changes over time by resorbtion as a response to the mastication force falling on it.  In this case you have to check your dentist to take a new impression with your denture and the dentist then send it to the lap to add a thin layer to compensate the lost bone.

So it is indicated to use adhesives only when you have a properly manufactured denture ,that accurately fit your gums but has a bad retention due to insufficient height of jaw bones that may caused by spending much time edentulous without denture  or insufficient salivation that can be caused by the chronic use of some drugs or any other medical condition.

Some times the denture is ok and fixed in place but you need more confidence that it will not fall during speaking to the public. This fear is common among new denture wearers so it is ok to use it but you have to concentrate more in training your self to stabilize the denture in place as muscles has a great role in denture fixation.

How to use denture adhesives:

1-First clean your denture with tooth paste carefully especially the fitting surface that towards the gums.

2- If you will use powder adhesives keep the fitting surface a little wet then shake the powder container lightly to spread the powder regularly to the fitting surface then put it in your mouth and wait minutes before eating or speaking to let the powder set.

in case of paste adhesives put a separate points from the tube to the fitting surface and keep the adhesive away from the denture base periphery not  to expel the excess in your mouth. Then put the denture in place.

with the stripes adhesive you will just adheres the tape to the denture base and put it in your mouth.

generally use the least amount of the adhesive first then gradually increase the amount every day till you reach the best sufficient amount needed to stabilize your denture.

3-You shouldn’t wear your denture over night, every night you have to take of your denture, clean it from the adhesive and store it in water or denture storing solution till the next morning to keep you gums healthy and clean.

Some adhesives may cause some kind of allergy that is usually presented as gums burning or rudeness in that case stop using it and call your dentist to change the type for you.

There are many denture adhesive preparations in the market like cushion grip, Equate Firm grip, Super poli grip, fixodent, sea bond and ends lip. the selection is yours you can use any of them according to your preference i usually describe corega powder in the beginning till the patient try the available products and see what is good for him. The prices range from 3$ to 25&.