Shiner Law Group’s skilled product liability attorneys are taking cases involving injuries from use of denture creams. If you used Fixodent or Poligrip and developed subsequent nerve damage, contact our offices today to see if you could be entitled to compensation.
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Denture Creams and Zinc
Denture adhesives typically come in the form of a powder, pad, or paste and are used to maintain a secure denture fit. While well-fitted dentures rarely slip, through long-term wear, they become loose and require a product like adhesives to keep them in place.
Many denture products, including brand-name Fixodent and Poligrip, contain zinc because the mineral tends to enhance the effectiveness of adhesion. When ingested in the right quantities, zinc is a healthy, essential mineral that can be found in foods high in protein, like seafood, beef, poultry, and nuts. Most daily multivitamins also contain small amounts of zinc.
Injuries
While zinc can be beneficial for your health, in excess, it can be poisonous and can lead to serious medical issues. Studies show people who use denture adhesives containing zinc are at a greater risk of slowly developing a dangerous concentration of zinc in their blood streams. The injuries we have seen from zinc poisoning are characterized by the following:
- Imbalance of component blood elements (called blood dyscrasias)
- Tingling or pain in the arms or legs
- Numbness of the hands and feet
- Difficulty walking
- Overall weakness
- Neurologic injury
- Nerve damage to the limbs, extremities, hands and feet (called myeloneuropathy)
Zinc poisoning can be confirmed through a blood test that shows either high levels of zinc in the blood or low levels of copper or both.
FDA Notice
In 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a notice to denture adhesive manufacturers stating it had received numerous reports of adverse events related to the products. The FDA cited literature and research suggesting a link between zinc-containing denture adhesives and zinc toxicity.
In addition, it indicated several factors might contribute to the potential of zinc toxicity with denture adhesive use, including product labels not containing zinc as an ingredient, a lack of awareness about the risks of zinc toxicity, and a lack of understanding about the products’ appropriate uses. Indeed, research shows, and we have found in our practice taking these cases, that many people use too much adhesive on their dentures and use it too often.
In response to the reported adverse events, the FDA recommended manufacturers that used zinc in their denture products do the following:
- Perform a risk analysis of their labeling;
- Conduct a human factors study to assess consumer understanding of labeling and potential for misuse of their products;
- Modify their labels to include a statement about the product containing zinc; and
- Replace zinc with an ingredient that presented fewer health risks in situations of overuse.
Lawsuit Criteria
As the manufacturers of medical products, the companies making denture adhesives have a duty to make sure their products are safe and their product labels are adequate. At Shiner Law Group, we are pursuing litigation against Proctor and Gamble and GlaxoSmithKline for not taking appropriate action when they learned about the connection between their products and zinc poisoning. We are currently taking cases in which someone:
- Used brand-name Fixodent or brand-name Poligrip denture adhesive
- Developed a neurologic injury or nerve damage
- Has confirmed high zinc or low copper blood levels
If you or a loved one used Fixodent or Poligrip and developed a nerve injury, contact our offices today. You can schedule a free consultation with one of our seasoned personal injury attorneys by calling (561) 777-7700.
