Does the use of an adhesive improve conventional complete dentures? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: A consensus on whether the use of a complete-denture adhesive provides a clinical benefit remains unclear. PURPOSE: The purpose of this systematic review of randomized controlled trials was to evaluate the use of adhesive in complete dentures in terms of retention and stability, patient-reported outcomes measures, and masticatory performance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for articles up to October 2020. The Cochrane collaboration tool was used to analyze the risk of bias. The grading quality of evidence and strength of recommendations (GRADE) tool was used to assess the certainty of the evidence. RESULTS: Thirteen studies were included with a total of 516 participants with a mean age of 65.5 years. Most studies reported a significant improvement in the retention and stability, patient-reported outcomes measures, and masticatory performance of complete dentures with the use of denture adhesive compared with no-denture adhesive. Newly developed denture adhesives were reported to have promising results. Most studies presented a low risk of bias, but the certainty of the evidence was classified as low to moderate. CONCLUSIONS: Participants had improved treatment outcomes when using denture adhesives because they significantly improve the retention and stability, patient-reported outcomes measures, and masticatory performance. However, further high-quality studies are needed to confirm these results with newly developed denture adhesives.