Dental News - Oral Health Foundation announces clear guidelines for denture adhesive use

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 18. July 2019

save

RUGBY, UK: The Oral Health Foundation, a UK charity that aims at improving well-being by reducing the harm caused by oral disease, has announced clear, simple and scientifically backed guidelines on using denture adhesive. In this way, the foundation is providing uniform advice that dental professionals can give to completely edentulous patients who use denture adhesive. The guidelines were developed by a global task force and are part of a research project sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare.

By 2050, there are expected to be two billion people aged 60 years or older in the world—more than double today’s figure. Although this means that the number of denture wearers is expected to increase, there have been few guidelines on the proper use of denture adhesives. Currently, a large number of denture wearers are left without advice on what type of adhesive to use, how much and how often to use it, and how to apply and remove it. Moreover, the little advice these patients do get varies tremendously. This negatively impacts their quality of life, quality of diet and overall well-being.

Recently, a task force of experts from the UK, the US, Greece, Japan and Switzerland undertook a comprehensive review of existing literature and developed a clear set of guidelines on the optimal use of denture adhesive for dental healthcare professionals, caregivers and patients. The guidelines were published as a white paper, titled Guidelines for the Use of Denture Adhesives and their Benefits for Oral and General Health, and can be summarised as follows:

Make sure the denture is clean and dry. Then put a small amount of denture adhesive cream on to it. This should only be necessary once a day.
Put the denture into your mouth and firmly close the mouth for a couple of seconds. If the adhesive cream overflows, you have used too much. Remove any spare adhesive. Do not swallow it and do not eat or drink anything for 5 minutes.
Take your denture out before going to sleep. Clean the denture and the inside of your mouth thoroughly to remove any adhesive.
Ask your dentist for a regular appointment so that your mouth and dentures can be checked.

These simple steps can improve the retention and stability of dentures, give the wearers greater confidence and comfort, and reduce or eliminate food debris beneath dentures. Dr Nigel Carter, OBE, Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation, commented: “The current lack of guidance on the use of denture adhesives may mean that denture wearers are left confused. The evidence is clear; using an adhesive can provide benefits for patients with best-fitting dentures both in terms of function, confidence and comfort. These new guidelines will give dental professionals the confidence to know how and when to recommend denture adhesives for maximum patient benefit”.

The white paper can be read here.

Tags:

Adhesive Adhesives Ageing Comfort Denture Diet Drink Eat Glue GSK Guidelines OHF Oral Health Foundation Well-being

To post a reply please login or register

Oral Health Foundation launches new guidelines for denture adhesives

RUGBY, UK/VANCOUVER, Canada: The Oral Health Foundation (OHF) has recently published a new set of global science-based guidelines for denture adhesives. The...

Study grants announced for Indigenous oral health students

MELBOURNE, Australia: Offering dental professionals who are in the midst of further education assistance with their journey is something that can only be ...

Optimising intra‑ and extra‑oral substrates for maximal adhesive potential

Achieving an optimal prognosis in the everyday practice of adhesive restorative dentistry requires ideal environmental conditions. Regardless of whether ...

New study could help shape guidelines for GenAI use in dental education

RIGA, Latvia: As artificial intelligence (AI) is slowly taking root in dentistry and has the potential to improve clinical care, researchers are performing ...

3D-printed denture teeth suitable for long-term clinical use

DAMMAM, Saudi Arabia: The method of denture fabrication and material used are relevant to longevity, strength and occlusal wear resistance. 3D-printing ...

Antibiotic use in implant dentistry: A call for standardised guidelines

LEIPZIG, Germany: There are conflicting opinions and evidence on antibiotic use before and after implant surgery and in peri-implantitis treatment. Given ...

"Good oral health is for life, not just for World Oral Health Day"

Since 2016, the FDI World Dental Federation and oral health product manufacturer Philips have been partnering to promote World Oral Health Day on 20 March. ...

Mars Wrigley Foundation continues to support oral health in Australia

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: In 2011, the Mars Wrigley Foundation, together with the Australian Dental Health Foundation (ADHF), implemented a programme focused on ...

Newly released denture guidelines shed light on correct maintenance and cleaning

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina: As populations age, the number of people who need advice on the best denture care will rise over the coming years. Therefore, new ...

New article spotlights oral health collaboration for ageing populations

LONDON, England: A recent editorial has highlighted the meaningful collaboration between the dental profession and industry under FDI World Dental ...

Education

Live webinar
Mon. 3 November 2025
12:30 pm EST (New York)