The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word GUMMY
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
G
U
M
M
Y
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Adhesive/teeth quite lacking?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case adhesive/teeth quite lacking? = gummy.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does GUMMY mean?
GUMMY noun- A sheep that is losing or has lost its teeth.
- Showing the gums.
- A species of shark, Mustelus antarcticus, endemic to southern and south-eastern Australia, the meat of which is sold as flake.
- (usually in the plural) A gummi candy.
- Resembling gum (the substance).
- Covered with gum or a substance resembling gum.