Denture Cream Zinc Poisoning: The Difficulty with Diagnosis

December 12, 2010, 8:00AM. By Heidi Turner

Oklahoma City, OKFor patients suffering from denture cream zinc poisoning, the difficulty might not only be in the pain of denture adhesive zinc poisoning but also in actually getting a diagnosis. That is because it can take a long time between first using a product such as Fixodent denture adhesive and developing the symptoms of zinc poisoning and copper deficiency.

A person can use denture cream for years before developing signs of neuropathy or other symptoms of zinc poisoning because it takes a while for zinc toxicity to build up, depending on how much denture cream is used. By that time, the patient and his doctor may not quickly connect the use of denture cream with the health problems. Furthermore, by the time a diagnosis is made, the injury to the patient could be permanent.

KOCO news (11/15/10), in Oklahoma City, recounts the story of Carl Halligan, who used denture cream for 25 years before experiencing numbness in his legs. At first, doctors had no idea what was causing his problems. Eventually, they determined that he had high levels of zinc and low levels of copper and a neurologist finally suggested Halligan's use of denture cream might have caused the mineral imbalance.

After 25 years of using denture creams that contain zinc, Halligan is now confined to a wheelchair and may never walk again.

Some, but not all, denture creams contain zinc. When a small amount of denture cream is used, there is likely no risk to the consumer. The issue is when large amounts of denture cream are used over the long term. Excess exposure to zinc can cause zinc toxicity, which in turn can lead to copper depletion. Copper depletion comes with its own health risks.

Although labels for denture cream advised how much should be used, they did not advise what could happen if too much denture cream was used over the long term. Many consumers used excessive amounts of denture cream to hold loose-fitting dentures in place and may have done so for many years, not realizing they could be putting their health at risk.

GlaxoSmithKline, maker of Poligrip, has since changed the Poligrip formula so it no longer contains zinc. GlaxoSmithKline also reportedly settled some lawsuits concerning Poligrip product liability, but no information has been released on the settlement.

Procter & Gamble, maker of Fixodent, has not changed the Fixodent product but has issued a statement that Fixodent ingredients are generally considered safe.