Fixodent Denture Adhesive Linked to Nerve Damage

Charlotte, NCFixodent denture adhesive has been linked to adverse health effects, largely due to the amount of zinc found within the product. This includes frequent complaints of nerve damage from longtime users of denture cream, like Johnny Howell.

span itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="display:block">Howell, a 20-year user of both Fixodent and Poligrip, recently began losing feeling in his legs while at work, causing a series of spills that resulted in a broken rib, ankle and wrist. The 53-year-old Winston-Salem resident is filing a lawsuit against the makers of Poligrip, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), for failing to disclose the risks of constant use of their product.

In recent years, GSK has begun issuing warnings on the zinc content of tubes of denture cream, though Howell claims it is too little too late.

"Glaxo says don't use the product in excess," Howell's lawyer, Ed Blizzard, told McClatchy Newspapers, "as if these people were alcoholics or something. They're just trying to keep their teeth in their mouth."

Zinc, which is an essential mineral in cell function, can inhibit the body's ability to absorb other minerals like iron and copper. Deficiencies of these minerals can lead to numerous health concerns including weakness and numbness in the extremities.