Background. The authors conducted a study to determine if reducing mandibular denture movement through the use of a denture adhesive improves chewing function in edentulous patients.
Methods. The authors compared the mean chewing rates of 10 denture wearers who used and did not use a denture adhesive with that of a control group of 10 dentate people. The authors recorded mandibular movements using a multichannel magnetometer tracking system while the subjects chewed standardized pieces of dried apricots and fresh white bread. They made recordings for the test subjects without the use of denture adhesive and at zero, two and four hours after Fixodent denture adhesive cream (Procter & Gamble Co.) was applied to the mandibular denture.
Results. The mean chewing rate for the control group was significantly faster than that of the test group at baseline (P < .01). The authors found statistically significant increases in the mean chewing rates for the test group after the denture adhesive was applied at all time points for both foods. None of the after–adhesive-application rates were significantly different from the control group’s rate (P > .05).
Conclusions. Use of denture adhesive increased the mean chewing rate in test subjects immediately after and at two and four hours after denture adhesive was applied to a rate that approximated that observed in control subjects (P > .05).
Clinical Implications. These findings show that using a denture adhesive promotes a faster and more natural rate of chewing.
