Q. What is the story about the toxic effects of zinc in denture creams?
A. Too much zinc, whether from dental adhesives or taken as a supplement, can lead to a copper deficiency. The possible consequences are anemia and neurological problems.
Lisa Sanders, MD, described a case in the New York Times Magazine (Sept. 6, 2009) in which a 64-year-old woman overused denture cream. Her balance was affected along with the strength in her legs. She was almost unable to walk.
Her doctors were puzzled but when they discovered that she had super-high levels of zinc and almost no copper in her bloodstream, they tracked the problem to the adhesive she used to keep her ill-fitting dentures in place.
GSK, maker of Super PoliGrip, has reformulated its denture adhesive cream. The company urges consumers to look for the zinc-free product. The FDA is working with other manufacturers to reduce the risk that consumers might be exposed to excessive levels of zinc in their denture creams.
