Fixodent denture cream might lead to nerve damage. CC by tuppus/Flickr
Dentures usually require a denture cream to attach to an individual’s gums, and Fixodent is a popular product for that. An ABC News investigation has led to a Fixodent lawsuit. The lawsuit is based on the allegation that Fixodent could be poisoning customers. The secondary allegation is that the company knew and did not warn customers.
Damage to nerves can happen with fixodent
In 2006, researchers at the University of Texas found a connection between denture creams and zinc poisoning. Zinc poisoning can cause loss of sensation, muscle weakness, paralysis and numbness. When people use Fixodent, the zinc in sits all day against the gums, and the bloodstream ends up with zinc in it. This makes it harder for the body to absorb copper. After the University of Texas submitted the study nothing more was done so that a peer review could be conducted.
Dr. Kenneth Shay named in Fixodent lawsuit
The Fixodent lawsuit states that Dr. Kenneth Shay is partly to blame for the fact that nothing was done after the study found Fixodent was dangerous. Dr. Shay was given a copy of the study linking Fixodent and zinc poisoning in 2007. As a paid consultant of Procter & Gamble, the doctor didn’t share this information. Dr. Shay did not properly review and return the study, and he reportedly passed the unpublished study findings over to Procter & Gamble, the makers of Fixodent.
Warnings of zinc poisoning
Zinc is found in both Fixodent and Super Poly Grip. In 2008, when the study linking paralysis and denture cream was published, the makers did put a small warning on the box. The Fixodent lawsuit, however, claims that the company was aware of these risks long before the study was published and did not do nearly enough to protect customers or reformulate the product. The amount of zinc in the denture cream isn’t usually dangerous. Only large amounts are dangerous to use.
