Denture Creams Linked to Nerve Damage
Fixodent® and PoliGrip® Linked to Nerve Damage, Neurological Disorder
Fixodent® and PoliGrip® are popular denture adhesives used by a growing number of seniors in the U.S. Recently, doctors established a link between denture adhesives and nerve damage (1).
In large amounts, denture creams may cause serious conditions known as neuropathies, which involve varying degrees of nerve damage and neurological damage to victims (2). Thirty-five million Americans use denture adhesives.
Update:
The manufacturer of PoliGrip announced it would stop making and selling Super PoliGrip Original, Ultra Fresh, and Ultra Care denture adhesive creams until it removed zinc from the products because of health concerns. This follows studies linking denture adhesives with serious nerve and neurological damage (neuropathies) to long-term users.
Zinc Poisoning
According to a report published in a leading medical journal, a number of denture cream users suffered abnormally high levels of zinc and low levels of copper in their bloodstreams after using denture adhesives (1).
Large amounts of zinc, coupled with a lack of copper, upset a delicate balance in the body that directly affects neurological health. Denture creams such as Fixodent and PoliGrip contain zinc, which is used as an odor blocker and bonding agent in the formulas. Zinc can be absorbed into the body through both the skin and gums.
Neuropathy
There are more than 100 different kinds of neuropathy, although peripheral neuropathy is the most common form. According to The Neuropathy Association, peripheral neuropathy is “the result of damage caused to the nerves, which disrupts the body’s ability to communicate with its muscles, skin, joints, or internal organs (3).”
Symptoms of neuropathy include:
- tingling or numbness in the extremities
- abnormal sensations
- foot pain
- loss of balance
- heavy feeling in legs
- inability to hold objects
We Want to Help
Our law firm is currently investigating cases of denture adhesive users suffering from nerve damage and neurological conditions. If you or someone you care about used a denture cream such as Fixodent or PoliGrip and suffered severe nerve damage or was diagnosed with neuropathy, we want to help.
Sources:
1) “Excess use of denture cream tied to nerve damage” from Reuters Health. Accessed 2/25/09 via www.reuters.com.
2) “Denture cream—an unusual source of excess zinc, leading to hypocupremia and neurologic disease” by S. P. Nations, MD; P. J. Boyer, MD, PhD; L. A. Love, MD; M. F. Burritt, PhD; J. A. Butz, BA; G. I. Wolfe, MD; L. S. Hynan, PhD; J. Reisch, PhD and J. R. Trivedi, MD. Accessed 2/25/09 via www.neurology.org.
3) “Peripheral neuropathy,” from The Neuropathy Association. Accessed 2/26/09 via www.neuropathy.org.
Fixodent® is a registered trademark of Procter & Gamble. PoliGrip® is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline. Both registered trademarks are used only to identify the products in question.
This law firm is not associated with, sponsored by, or affiliated with GlaxoSmithKline, Neurology, Procter & Gamble, Reuters, The Neuropathy Association, or WFAA Channel 8 Dallas/Ft. Worth News.
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