Denture Adhesive Creams FAQS

Frequently Asked Questions

Arnold Law Firm is leading the national investigation into the link between zinc in denture creams and severe nerve damage. If you use denture creams, including Super PoliGrip or Fixodent, you may have questions about the health risks of these products. Read on for the answers to your questions.

If you think you’ve been harmed by your use of denture creams, call our experienced denture cream attorneys at (916) 924-3100 today or click here to submit your case for a free and confidential review.

Q: What is zinc?
A: Zinc is one of the most common minerals in the Earth’s crust. We need a small amount of zinc as part of our daily diet. Zinc is vital for enzymes that regulate growth and development, promote fertility and aid digestion, among other functions.

Q: What are healthy zinc intake levels?
A: The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine has determined the recommended daily allowance of zinc to be 11 milligrams for men and 8 milligrams for women. The board has also set a tolerable upper intake level of 40 milligrams a day for adults.

Q: What if humans ingest more than the daily limit?
A: If humans consume too much zinc, it interferes with their body’s ability to absorb copper, which is a mineral vital to certain necessary enzymes for proper human functioning.

Q: What are the signs of excessive zinc intake?
A:  Excessive zinc intake can result in a condition called hypocupremia, or copper deficiency. Symptoms that can develop from hypocupremia include:

• Anemia.
• Depressed red blood cell, white blood cell and platelet counts.
• Tingling and numbness in extremities.
• Loss of coordination or balance.
• Spastic muscle contractions.
• Weakness in limbs.
• Loss of sensation in hands and feet.
• Dysesthesia, or a feeling of burning, cold, tingling, itching or “pins and needles” when touched.
• Parethesia, similar to dysesthesia, except without being touched or touching anything.

Q: Why do denture creams use zinc?
A: Calcium-zinc polymers, when mixed with the saliva in our mouths, form adhesive and cohesive properties.

Q: How does zinc get into your system?
A: Zinc can be absorbed through the gums or swallowed when eating foods or drinking liquids.

Q: How much zinc is there in dental adhesive creams?
A: A study published in the journal Neurology analyzed three types of denture adhesive creams. The findings: Fixodent Original had 17.2 milligrams of zinc per gram of cream, PoliGrip Original had 34.2 milligrams per gram, and PoliGrip Polyseal had 27.5 milligrams per gram.

Q: How was the link between denture creams and excessive zinc established?
A: The study looked at four patients who used denture adhesive creams and suffered from copper deficiency and symptoms of nerve damage. Three patients stopped using denture adhesives, and the levels of zinc in their bloodstream fell, while a fourth continued using the denture cream and continued to have elevated zinc levels. The researchers concluded that the patients would have been exposed to about 330 milligrams of zinc per day from denture creams. They could not identify another plausible explanation for the excessive zinc levels.

Q: Why haven’t denture wearers been warned about the risk of excessive zinc?
A:  The FDA does not require makers of denture creams to list zinc or include warnings about it in product labels.

Q: My dentures don’t fit well and I use more cream than is recommended. What should I do?
A: Patients with ill-fitting dentures should see a dentist to have the dentures adjusted. In the meantime, they should avoid large amounts of adhesive creams. Denture wearers who have used adhesive creams and now have symptoms of zinc toxicity, including unexplained pain or weakness, and numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, should seek immediate medical attention.

Q: I’m afraid that a denture cream may have permanently damaged my health. What should I do?
A: Arnold Law Firm is leading the national investigation into the claims that the zinc in denture creams has led to neurological disease.  We can advise you of your legal rights. Call our experienced denture cream attorneys at (916) 924-3100 today or click here to submit your case to us for a free review.