Denture Adhesive: HSA Eligibility

Eligible expenses for Limited FSAs can vary. To find out exactly what your Limited FSA covers, contact your FSA administrator.

What is denture adhesive?

Denture adhesive is designed to be placed in/on dentures to help them stay in place during daily activities, and they are available in powders, pastes and adhesive pads for easy use. In the vast majority of cases, fitted full or partial dentures will not require adhesives for regular use, however, over time as bone structure changes with age, dentures may need to be re-made or refitted for comfortable, everyday use.

In cases where denture alignment has shifted over time, denture adhesives can effectively fill in the gaps to provide a proper fit and temporary relief until new dentures can be relined or remade. Additionally, denture adhesives could be necessary if the individual is experiencing a lack of saliva production, neuromuscular issues or simply have a flat jaw ridge that could inhibit the support of the denture (U.S. Food and Drug Administration).

How does denture adhesive work?

The primary ingredients in denture adhesives include polymethyl vinyl ether-malevich anhydrade (PVM-MA) copolymer and sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and some products may also contain traces of zinc to improve the product's adhesive qualities. It's important to note that continual use of denture adhesives made with zinc could lead to a chronic excessive intake of the mineral, which is toxic in higher levels and can contribute to nerve damage in the body.

Denture adhesives are designed to keep dentures affixed throughout the day, but users should avoid hot liquids that could dissolve the material. At the end of the day, it's important to wash off any adhesive residue from the surface of the dentures with warm water and a soft brush to ensure an effective seal during the next use. Finally, soak the dentures overnight in a glass of water with a denture cleanser to eliminate bacteria from the surfaces of dentures that can contribute to bad breath and eliminate any threat to the wearer's immune system (National Center for Biotechnology Information).