You may be thinking I am really scraping the bottom of the barrel to be blogging about dentures, but when you finish reading this post you will be thinking, “WOW, I didn’t know that!”
Approximately 35 million Americans, mostly elderly, wear dentures. They naturally are concerned about which denture adhesive is the best to use. Does it make my dentures feel good, does it help prevent slipping, and does it taste OK? These would be the questions I would ask if I wore dentures, but the one question most denture wearers probably don’t ask is, “Is my denture adhesive toxic?”
Multitudes of patients who have used denture adhesive cream several times per day for years have reported symptoms such as:
- chronic, unexplained pain
- neurological problems
- dizziness
- lethargy
A 2008 study was able to link the use of dental adhesives and these symptoms to the high levels of zinc contained in many of the most popular products. The study determined that the zinc concentration in several popular denture creams ranged from 17 to 34 mg/gram. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for zinc is 11 mg/day in men and 8 mg/day in women (IOM 2002). High intakes of zinc are known to decrease copper levels, thus long term use of these products can cause a decrease in copper levels, causing many neurological and other symptoms.
What is really scary to me is that many denture wearers do not understand the potential risks — especially those who suffer from ill-fitting dentures who are more likely to use greater amounts of denture cream. Several law suits have been filed against companies that make zinc-based denture adhesives.
So, if you are a denture wearer, I would recommend you buy a zinc-free adhesive and don’t use excessive amount of the cream. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, I would recommend you ask your clinician about measuring your blood levels of zinc and copper with an erythrocyte element laboratory test.
Now you can say WOW, and help educate your patients.
And don’t get me started on antiperspirants.
