FDA Warns About Zinc-Containing Denture Adhesives

Washington, DCThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning the public about overuse of zinc-containing denture adhesives and associated adverse events such as nerve damage and numbness. The warning was prompted by case reports in the literature as well as the agency's own adverse event reporting data, showing a link between these side effects and chronic use of zinc-containing denture adhesives.

span itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="display:block">The case reports, the FDA noted, linked symptoms with the use of two or more tubes of denture adhesive per week. The FDA noted that not all denture adhesives contain zinc, which is used to help adhesion. The agency is urging manufacturers of zinc-containing products to provide a list of potential adverse events associated with overuse.

The warning follows a report published in Neurology in 2008, in which researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, stated, "Denture cream contains zinc, and chronic excessive use may result in hypocupremia and serious neurologic disease." Researchers also found a risk of hyperzincemia.

Denture creams that contain zinc include Fixodent and Super Poligrip.