Knowledge, awareness, and attitude of dentists toward use of denture adhesives in Tamil Nadu: A questionnaire survey

Dentists, especially the clinicians, struggle to achieve comfort, stability, and retention in removable dentures, which eliminates need of denture adhesives, and often prescribe denture adherents as an adjunct aid in denture aftercare. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, awareness, and attitude of dentists in Tamil Nadu toward use of denture adhesives in clinical practice. This survey was conducted among 150 dentists in Tamil Nadu, of which 128 dentists responded. The survey had 22 close-ended questions circulated through online forms. The data were collected, tabulated, and interpreted. Respondents were 24.2% general practitioners, 14.8% undergraduate students, 25.8% postgraduate students - prosthodontics, 30.5% other than prosthodontics, and 4.7% were prosthodontists. Awareness of usage of denture adhesives, 99.2% of the population responded positively and 1.6% respondents had no awareness. Majority of clinicians were not familiar with the toxic effects and thus a difference in recommendation was seen. The results of this survey conclude that knowledge and attitude of dentists in state of Tamil Nadu pertaining to use of denture adhesives as a retentive adjunct in denture fabrication is good overall, but depth of knowledge about its indication in clinical practice, toxicity, and complications needs some improvement.