Denture Cream Zinc Poisoning

Many denture creams, including Fixodent and Poligrip, contain zinc. Zinc is a mineral that our bodies require, but too much zinc causes zinc poisoning and can lead to anemia, neurological disorders, bone loss, and other health problems. In February, 2010, GlaxoSmithKline announced that it would stop using zinc in its products because of the potential health risks.

Denture Cream

Denture cream, or denture adhesive, is used to help keep dentures snugly in place. Dentures are notorious for slipping out of place causing discomfort and making it difficult to eat and talk normally. Denture cream can help with that problem.

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), patients who reported zinc poisoning wore ill-fitting dentures and had to use more than the recommended amount of denture cream to keep them in place, leading them to swallow more of the cream than expected.

Zinc Poisoning

Zinc is a necessary mineral and in small amount it promotes good health. While it may seem that if a little is good for you, more must be even better, some nutrients do not work that way. Minerals work together in the body and can even work against each other. They must be in balance. Symptoms and consequences of zinc poisoning can include:

• Anemia
• High cholesterol
• Nerve damage
• Paralysis
• Osteoporosis
• Arthritis
• Weakened immune system
• Neurological disorders
• Loss of balance
• Weakness, numbness, pain, or tingling in the arms, legs, hands, and feet

Zinc Poisoning Often Misdiagnosed

Until the problem with denture creams started gaining publicity, most doctors did not look for zinc poisoning as the cause of their patients’ symptoms. We tend to think of health problems related to minerals in terms of deficiency rather than excess.

Crippling symptoms with no explanation have been frustrating to doctors and devastating to patients. When caught early the damage may be reversed by simply stopping the zinc intake and supplementing with copper. While this is also the recommended course of action for long-term zinc poisoning, it cannot always repair the damage and some patients remain wheelchair bound for the rest of their lives.

Blood and urine tests may not give an accurate measurement of zinc in the body. Hair tests are thought to be a more accurate way of measuring long-term exposure to minerals, but most doctors do not use them.

If you or a loved one is in need of legal assistance, call Smith & Smith at 1-999-999-9999 or submit an online questionnaire. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases, a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.