Can Herbal Denture Adhesives Make Dentures More Comfortable?
A New Clinical Trial Explores the Role of Essential Oils in Improving Denture Satisfaction
Living With Dentures: A Common but Challenging Reality
Losing all natural teeth, a condition known as edentulism, is still common, especially among older adults. For many patients, complete dentures remain the most practical solution. However, wearing dentures is not always comfortable. Problems such as poor retention, instability, difficulty chewing, and lack of confidence often affect daily life particularly when the jawbone has already undergone significant resorption.
To address these issues, denture adhesives are frequently used. These products help dentures stay in place by increasing surface tension between the denture and oral tissues. In recent years, attention has shifted toward herbal denture adhesives, which are believed to offer added benefits such as antimicrobial effects and improved patient comfort.
A study protocol published in Cureus explores whether adding essential oils to herbal denture adhesives can further improve comfort and satisfaction for denture wearers.
What Did the Researchers Aim to Study?
The research team set out to compare two types of herbal denture adhesives:
A herbal adhesive without essential oil
A herbal adhesive with essential oil (cinnamon oil)
The goal was to evaluate which formulation provides better outcomes in terms of:
Denture retention and stability
Chewing efficiency
Comfort and ease of use
Overall patient satisfaction
Rather than focusing on laboratory measurements alone, this study emphasizes real patient experiences, making its findings especially relevant for everyday dental practice.
How Was the Study Designed?
This research is structured as a randomized controlled clinical trial conducted at a dental teaching hospital in India. A total of 40 complete denture patients were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups of 20.
Each participant:
Completed a questionnaire at the time of denture insertion without any adhesive
Used the assigned denture adhesive for seven days
Completed a second questionnaire evaluating their experience after adhesive use
The questionnaires assessed practical aspects such as retention, chewing ability, comfort, taste, ease of cleaning, and overall satisfaction. Statistical analysis was planned to compare results between the two groups.
Why Essential Oils?
The adhesive tested in this study incorporates cinnamon essential oil, delivered through mesoporous nanoparticles for prolonged release. Essential oils are known for their antibacterial and antifungal properties, which may help reduce microbial growth under dentures a common cause of soreness and oral discomfort.
By combining herbal ingredients with essential oil technology, the researchers hope to develop an adhesive that is not only effective but also safe, pleasant to use, and affordable.
What Results Are Expected?
Although this publication focuses on the study protocol, the researchers anticipate that:
Patients using the essential oil infused herbal adhesive will report higher satisfaction
Denture retention and stability especially in the lower jaw will improve
Chewing efficiency and comfort will increase
The risk of denture-related sores and microbial growth may be reduced
These improvements could significantly enhance both the physical comfort and psychological confidence of denture wearers.
Why Does This Study Matter?
Adjusting to dentures can be physically and emotionally challenging, particularly for elderly patients. Even well-made dentures may require additional support during adaptation. Denture adhesives, when used correctly and under professional guidance, can play an important supportive role.
This study contributes to growing evidence that herbal denture adhesives, especially those enhanced with essential oils, may offer a more patient-friendly alternative to conventional products.
Looking Ahead
While the study has limitations such as a relatively small sample size and short follow-up period it lays the groundwork for future research. Larger and longer-term studies will be needed to confirm the long-term benefits and safety of essential oil based herbal denture adhesives.
For now, the findings highlight an encouraging direction in prosthodontic care: combining natural ingredients and modern formulation techniques to improve patient comfort and quality of life.
Reference
Chitlange P, Kambala SR, Agrawal S, Bhoyar A, Pathak V, Agarwal P.
A Comparative Evaluation of the Effects of Herbal Denture Adhesives on Patient Comfort and Satisfaction: Study Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Cureus. 2024;16(8):e66276.
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.66276