Denture adhesives can be enormously helpful in keeping dentures from slipping while eating, drinking, or going about daily activities. While they aren’t required to wear dentures, some dentists advise their use in certain cases to avoid slippage and possibly embarrassing moments.
What Are Denture Adhesives?
The primary ingredients in these adhesives are sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), and polymethyl vinyal ether-Malevich anhydride (PVM-MA) copolymer. Some of these products also have zinc in them to give greater strength in adhesion.
Must I Use Denture Adhesive?
Denture adhesive isn’t needed as much as it once was. There were once many commercials for particular dental adhesive brands. Advanced technology has resulted in better fitting dentures today and that makes adhesive less needed.
The vast majority of people won’t need denture adhesive but that is something to ask your dentist about since they look at it on a case-by-case basis.
Those who may want to consider denture adhesive are those who notice their dentures consistently slipping. It could be a concern if the slipping prevents you from eating or drinking normally or causes trouble in speaking.
Sometimes, slipping dentures can cause public embarassment if they slip too much. There were once comedy routines about dentures falling out of people’s mouths but that probably never really happened.
Rules About Using Denture Adhesive
Using denture adhesive has some peculiarities with it. One general rule is not to eat or drink anything for five minutes after applying it. You will also need to take your dentures out at night before bed, and clean them and the inside of your mouth to remove the adhesive.
Start removing and breaking down the adhesive to remove your dentures using a cold water rinse in your mouth. Ice water is even better as it breaks the bond between the gum and the adhesive. It also hardens it and that makes it easier to remove.
It’s advised not to swallow any spare adhesive, although it’s not dangerous. Some brands, like Fixodent, dissolve slowly by saliva and some will be swallowed over time. Studies show that adhesives pass through the digestive system without being digested and are easily eliminated from waste.
There Are Side Effects
There are reports of side effects of some who use name-brand denture adhesives. Side effects include unexplained neuropathy that results in numbness, tingling, and pain. Some denture creams have been shown to cause coffer deficiency and zinc poisoning and led to permanent nerve damage.
Talk to your dentist about whether you should use a dental adhesive. Typically, you likely won’t need it unless you have ongoing slipping with your dentures but you may want to discuss it to have peace of mind.
