Poorly fitting dentures could put some people at risk for zinc poisoning if they use a product like <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/Fixodent-Denture-Cream">Fixodent to keep them in place. That’s because people with ill fitting denture are more likely to use excessive amounts of Fixodent and other denture creams to cope with the problem. This can result in overexposure to zinc in such products.
According to an article in the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), denture wearers are advised to pay special attention to the amount of zinc they consume.
“If a patient wears dentures, it is essential that he or she follows the instructions and recommended dosages on the product label,” advises J. A. von Fraunhofer, MSc, PhD, co-author of the article. “Many times, patients will overuse the adhesive and, although it happens rarely, they can ingest toxic levels of zinc, with adverse neurologic effects.”
The article advises that one tube of denture cream should last three to 10 weeks with daily use. Denture wearers should only use a thin film or a series of dots across the denture surface to ensure they are not using too much.
To maintain a proper fit over time, denture wearers should be evaluated by a dentist every six months.
We’ve long reported on the hazards of zinc-containing denture creams like Fixodent. As the AGD article points out, overusing Fixodent and other zinc-containing denture creams could cause could cause nausea, stomachache, and mouth irritation. Long-term overuse can cause copper deficiency, and eventually severe neurological injuries.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has not issued a consumer warning regarding the risk of zinc poisoning from Fixodent and other dentures creams. However, in a February 23 letter to denture cream makers, the FDA recommended that they take actions to mitigate the risks of denture cream zinc poisoning, including possibly replacing zinc with a safer ingredient.
As we’ve reported previously, one denture cream manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, moved over a year ago to remove zinc from three of its Super Poligrip products, citing reports of neurological injuries possibly associated to excessive exposure to zinc in the denture creams. The products have since been reformulated to be zinc-free.
Procter & Gamble, the maker of Fixodent, did alter its label last year to include a caution about overuse of the product. But Fixodent is still made with zinc.
