A six-month assessment of oral health-related quality of life of complete denture wearers using denture adhesive: a pilot study.

PURPOSE

Edentulism and conventional complete denture treatment have been shown to have a negative impact on oral health quality of life (OHQoL). The use of an adhesive agent can provide an alternative to implant-supported prostheses. The objective of this study was to show that new complete dentures using a denture adhesive (DA) improve oral health-related quality of life.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The oral health QoL of 143 patients was assessed after 3 months of wearing new complete dentures. Fourteen participants presented a low geriatric oral health assessment index (GOHAI) score and were included in this study and asked to use a DA. Oral health QoL and masticatory parameters were assessed at the beginning of the study, then at 3 and 6 months.

RESULTS

Significant improvements were observed in the scores obtained for each field of GOHAI (function, pain, discomfort, psychosocial); however, even after use of the DA, no statistically significant change in masticatory parameters was found.

CONCLUSIONS

These results show that using a DA may improve subjects' ability to manage conventional dentures and enhance their oral quality of life. A larger, prospective, multicenter study is subsequently needed to confirm these results.