The Assessment of Awareness and Attitudes About the Use of Denture Adhesives Amongst Dental Practitioners in Northern Maharashtra: A Delphi Technique.

AIM: The goal of this research was to facilitate dialogue and interaction among a group of dental practitioners about their views on denture adhesives, with the objective of reaching a collective consensus through the application of the Delphi Method.

METHODS

This investigation employed the Delphi Technique, involving multiple rounds of questionnaires sent to a panel of experts. The objective was to establish a consensus (defined as over 70% agreement) or to explore the different viewpoints on the subject. A comprehensive Delphi questionnaire comprising 22 items was distributed to the Dental Practitioners. The questionnaire covered five key areas concerning denture adhesives: (1) overall perceptions; (2) the role in the development of clinical conditions; (3) specific applications and potential misuses; (4) their importance in denture services, including educating patients about denture adhesives; and (5) a general assessment of their clinical applications.

RESULTS

All 31 panellists, chosen randomly, unanimously agreed to participate, with each of them actively involved in all three rounds of the survey. The panellists reached a consensus and definitively concluded that denture adhesives (1) are beneficial for enhancing the fit and comfort of the prosthesis and are not used to mask the underlying denture problems; (2) cause diseases such as denture stomatitis, candidiasis, and resorption of alveolar bone; (3) have the potential for increasing retention, function, and reducing patient anxiety. However, the panellists did not achieve a consensus on whether denture adhesives cause nausea and gagging in the patients; (4) education is very important for patients with both ill-fitting and well-fitting dentures; (5) are a beneficial adjunct to dentists when fabricating dentures.

CONCLUSION

The expert panel of distinguished dental practitioners determined that denture adhesives play a valuable supportive role in the field of denture prosthetics, serving important functions during both the creation and post-insertion stages of dentures.