The 3 Best Denture Adhesives of 2025

In addition to ensuring that we tested a variety of application formats (including creams, powders, adhesive strips, and thermoplastics), we prioritized the following criteria:

• Secure hold: The other factors don’t really matter if the adhesive can’t do its job and keep dentures from shifting around. We gave higher marks to adhesives that required few to no reapplications throughout the day.
• Easy to apply and remove: We factored in how difficult each application method was, including the mess involved and how much dexterity was required.
• Straightforward to clean: Keeping dentures clean is vital to supporting gum and mouth health, as well as maintaining a good denture fit. When an adhesive is difficult or time-consuming to remove from the denture, we know it’s less likely to get fully cleaned the way it needs to be.
• Inoffensive to the senses: Though most adhesives that we tested were colorless, tasteless, and scentless, we noted any that had unpleasant qualities.
• Affordable price: The average denture adhesive that you might find in your local pharmacy costs between $5 to $8 for a standard 2.4-ounce tube. While some store brands can run as low as about $4, smaller brands can climb up to $15 per tube or box.

As part of the American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance program, the makers of oral-care products, such as denture adhesives, can choose to submit data for an ADA-associated panel to review. Not all companies seek this certification for their products, so we consider it nice to have but not necessary.

I started by following each adhesive’s directions and applying the specified amount to a pair of sample dentures. While doing so, I kept notes about any application difficulties, such as messiness or confusing directions, and I also compared the amount of hand strength and dexterity required.

While waiting for the adhesives to solidify, I smelled the denture from different distances to see how intrusive the scent was after application. I also tasted a very small amount of each — which, to be clear, I very much do not recommend. I also noted how long it took each adhesive to solidify (and if it ever did, in some cases). Then, I followed directions for cleaning the adhesives off of the dentures and paid attention to which were especially difficult to remove.

After I spoke with multiple dental experts, it became clear that there was no reliable way to test the hold of the denture adhesives in a simulated environment, so we sent between 12 and 16 adhesives to each member of a panel of eight testers and asked them to use each adhesive for at least two days, eating and going about their lives as they usually do.

Our testing panel included men and women ages 57 to 81. All of our testers use dentures daily, and two have extra difficulty with the fit of the lower dentures because of the shape of their jaw bones and gums. One of our testers also has both neuropathy and arthritis.

I also shared the samples with my 89-year-old grandmother, who had severe arthritis in her hands and low vision. Though she didn’t directly test the products, I had her walk me through which application methods were easier or more difficult for her to manage with these extra difficulties.

Of our eight testers, only half tested adhesives that contain zinc. Because of this, our runner-up, the Fixodent Complete Original Denture Adhesive Cream, received half as many reviews from testers compared with the others.