The zinc found in denture adhesives such as Fixodent has for some time been suspected of causing nerve damage. New revelations exposed this week point to a delay in releasing key research that some attribute to a physician that we now know was a paid consultant for Proctor & Gamble.

For several years, many doctors have maintained that fixodent zinc poisoning can lead to Copper deficiency; Copper is vital to maintaining healthy nerves. A link between fixodent zinc poisoning and health problems first surfaced in a 2008 study. However, a full release of that study was delayed for almost two years.

The delay was due to a peer review conducted by Dr. Kenneth Shay. At the time, Dr. Shay claimed the research was flawed because the doctors who conducted the study didn’t understand the research material.

However, ABC News later learned that Dr. Shay served as a paid consultant to Fixodent manufacturer Proctor & Gamble, something he failed to disclose. ABC News obtained documents in which Shay sent draft reports of the zinc toxicity study to others, but asked recipients to “Please be circumspect because, as a reviewer, I’m not supposed to be passing a draft around.”

Dr. Shay continued to stand behind his review and maintains that the study had “objective shortcomings” despite the fact that Proctor & Gamble placed new labels on Fixodent in 2009 cautioning that prolonged zinc intake may be linked to adverse health effects.

More than 360 adverse health reports connected to zinc and denture adhesives have been sent to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, although neither the FDA nor Proctor & Gamble would say whether they’re taking any action as a result of them.

If you are concerned about fixodent zinc poisoning and fixodent nerve damage you are urged to contact our personal injury attorneys by filling out the inquiry form to the right with your details or calling 1-800-LAWINFO.

6/27/10-WFAA.com WFAA-TV|Dallas/Fort Worth – Health News – Zinc danger remains in denture paste

“A lot of my clients were complaining of symptoms and go to their doctors, and the doctors will simply ignore them; they are unaware of the zinc poisoning issues. They are unaware that these products even contain zinc,” said Andy Alonso, part of a team of Fixodent lawsuit attorneys representing more than 100 plaintiffs in a mass tort. He credits News 8 reports for getting the word out.
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3/10/10-Philadelphia Daily News – Zinc in dental adhesives can cause “horrific injuries,” lawyer says.

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Philadelphia Daily News – News coverage of Poligrip dental adhesive.

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GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) warns about a potential health risk associated with long-term, excessive use of GSK?s zinc-containing denture adhesives Super Poligrip ?Original?, ?Ultra Fresh? and ?Extra Care?.

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Press Release – 2/18/2010 – Parker Waichman Alonso LLP Commends GlaxoSmithKline for its Decision to Voluntarily Stop the Manufacture, Distribution and Advertising of all Super PoliGrip Denture Cream Products Made with Zinc.

Consumer Web Advisory – 2/18/2010 – GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) warns about a potential health risk associated with long-term, excessive use of GSK’s zinc-containing denture adhesives Super Poligrip ‘Original’, ‘Ultra Fresh’ and ‘Extra Care’.

ABC News – Study Finds a Possible Link Between Denture Cream and Imbalance

For More Information About The Poligrip Lawsuit – Click Here

Unfortunately, the vast majority of Fixodent users have no idea that the product could put their health at risk. Because Fixodent is considered to be a Class I medical device, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) does not require warning labels for the product. There is no mention that using excessive amounts of Fixodent could prove dangerous.

More than 35 million Americans – most of them elderly – are denture wearers. A large number of those use adhesives, like Fixodent, to keep dentures in place. Obviously, the public health implications of Fixodent zinc poisoning are enormous.

Symptoms of neuropathy vary, but may include:

• numbness or tingling in the feet, legs, hands, and/or arms;
• a reduction in strength or ability to move legs or feet, or arms and hands;
• unexplained pain in the extremities;
• a tendency to stumble or fall down; instability and lack of balance;
• change or decrease in walking stride;
• abnormal blood pressure and heart rate;
• reduced ability to perspire;
• constipation and/or bladder dysfunction;
• sexual dysfunction.

When neuropathy is caused by Fixodent or other denture adhesives, copper depletion caused by exposure to excess zinc is to blame. This is what researchers at the University of Texas discovered when they studied a group of neuropathy patients for an article that appeared in the August 2008 issue of Neurology.

The article noted that one tube of denture cream should last 3 to 10 weeks,  but patients in the study were all using at least two tubes a week. Three had also lost their teeth at a relatively young age, meaning they had  used “extremely large amounts of denture adhesive daily for years.” Blood tests revealed that all of the patients suffered from excessive zinc and insufficient copper levels.

Unfortunately, the study also confirmed that the damage caused by the zinc in denture creams like Fixodent can be permanent. Only two patients showed “mild neurological improvement” after they began using copper supplements and stopped using denture creams, while the others had no improvement whatsoever.

Some of the demyelinating diseases most often misdiagnosed in patients suffering from Fixodent side effects include:

Demyelinating Syndrome: Typical symptoms of this disorder include odd sensation in legs, arms, chest, or face, such as tingling or numbness, or weakness; blurriness or double vision; loss of dexterity; and coordination problems. This syndrome can be associated with other diseases, such as lupus.

Multiple Sclerosis: Multiple sclerosis can be difficult to diagnose early in the course of the disease, because symptoms often come and go — sometimes disappearing for months. Because of this difficulty, doctors may at first think that a patient has Multiple Sclerosis, when in fact they are suffering from denture neuropathy.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome: A disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. The first symptoms of this disorder include varying degrees of weakness or tingling sensations in the legs. In many instances the weakness and abnormal sensations spread to the arms and upper body. These symptoms can increase in intensity until certain muscles cannot be used at all. When severe, a patient may suffer life-threatening paralysis.

Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP): A rare neurological disorder in which there is swelling of nerve roots and destruction of the myelin sheath over the nerves. This disorder causes weakness, paralysis and/or impairment in motor function, especially of the arms and legs. Sensory loss may also be present causing numbness, tingling, or prickling sensations. The motor and sensory impairments usually affect both sides of the body, and the degree of severity may vary.

If you use Fixodent and suffer from neurological problems, you should ask your doctor to test your blood for zinc and copper levels to rule out Fixodent side effects.

Other Related Links

Excess use of denture cream tied to nerve damage

American Academy of Neurology: An unusual source of excess zinc, leading to hypocupremia and neurologic disease

More claims of denture cream poisoning