Zinc Exposure from Denture Cream

Overview

The makers of two leading over-the-counter denture cream products issued consumer advisories recently warning users of a link between long-term use of Super Poligrip and Fixodent, and serious health conditions such as zinc poisoning, neuropathy and copper depletion. GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of Super Poligrip, and Proctor & Gamble, which manufactures Fixodent, cited studies warning of the potential health risks associated with some denture adhesive products that contain zinc; and concurrently announced action to end the manufacture and supply of such products.

Super Poligrip and Fixodent, two of the most popular brands in the category, are creams used to adhere dentures to the mouth so that consumers worry less about slippage, or denture movement.

Since the media began reporting on this issue in early February 2010, hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against the makers of these products by customers whose illnesses have been linked to their use and overexposure to zinc.

The Problem

Wearing dentures is often thought of as embarrassing. As a result, many people overuse adhesive creams -- some of which contain zinc -- to prevent slippage.

According to recent studies, exposure levels to zinc by users of some over-the-counter denture creams is 330 mg, more than 8 times the maximum tolerable level and more than 40 times the recommended level. Generally, the recommended daily allowance of zinc is 8mg for women and 11mg for men. The National Academy of Sciences estimated that the largest daily tolerable allowance of zinc is 40 mg. When zinc levels are too high, the body begins to deplete its level of copper (hypocupremia) a metal necessary for red blood cell creation and various other key bodily functions; and zinc poisoning can occur (hyperzincuria).

Denture creams have also been shown to cause nervous disorders such as neuropathy (damage to the nerves) and myelopathy (damage to spinal cord).

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of these health disorders is based on blood level testing.

Normal blood levels of copper in the body range from 0.75 to 1.45 micrograms per milliliter. Levels for the patients who overused zinc-laced denture creams ranged from less than 0.1 to 0.23 micrograms per milliliter.

The top normal number for zinc blood levels is 1.10 micrograms per milliliter. Patients using products such as Super Poligrip and Fixodent, with zinc concentrations between 17,000 and 34,000 micrograms per gram, had levels ranging from 1.36 to 4.28 micrograms per milliliter.

In studies the patients showed only mild neurologic improvement after they quit using denture cream and began taking copper supplements. The injuries appear to be permanent.

Symptoms

• Hyperzincuria and Hypocupremia: abdominal pain; nausea; vomiting; anemia; lethargy
• Neuropathy: numbness; tremor; tingling; cramps; muscle twitch
• Other Symptoms: loss of sensation; loss of balance; difficulty breathing; paralysis; bone marrow depletion

Lawsuits

If you have experienced zinc poisoning on account of denture cream use, you may be eligible for financial compensation for lost wages, medical bills and other expenses.

The New York and New Jersey products liability lawyers at Simonson Hess Leibowitz & Goodman have been representing victims of defective products, including over-the-counter remedies such as denture adhesives, for more than three decades.

We have recovered money for our clients in 98% of the cases we have handled. The total dollars we have recovered for clients who have been victims of products liability has totaled in the many millions.

Collectively our lawyers have more than one hundred years of experience representing victims of products liability.

Further, Simonson Hess Leibowitz & Goodman is one of only seven law firms in New York City to be ranked by US News & World Report as a New York Tier 1 law firm in the category of Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs in 2010. One of our lawyers has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America, and four of our partners have been recognized in Super Lawyers.