Denture Cream Zinc Poisoning News
The zinc in Poly-grip denture cream implicated in causing neurological damage
-Examiner
02/19/2010 - A health warning is in effect as GlaxoSmithKline are warning consumers to read the label properly before applying poly-grip denture cream. Apparently the zinc in the mixture may be linked to neurological damage. The major pharmaceutical company has received over 400 complaints of consumers having adverse effects from using the denture cream. A spokesperson for the company said that four reports have come from Canada. GlaxoSmithKline will stop manufacturing Poli-Grip Advanced Care, Poli-Grip Extra Strength, and Ultra Fresh products in Canada.
The company plans on producing a new formula in the future, but will not take the existing denture cream of the shelves. They claim Poly-grip is safe as long as consumers read the labels and use the product properly. According to the company most people do use the product properly, but some people use more of the denture cream than they need to, and they apply the cream to their dentures more than once a day.
There are dozens of lawsuits against the company in the United States implicating poly-grip and Fixodent to neurological damage. The neurological damage includes: blood problems such as anemia, tinkling, weakening, and numbness. The lawsuits are maintaining that GlaxoSmithKline did not put sufficient warnings on their labels. Of course GlaxoSmithKline disagrees and claims it the consumers who are misusing the product.
According to Medscape, “Chronic exposure to zinc can engender a reversible sideroplastic anemia and a reversible myelodysplasia-like syndrome.”
The results of a study conducted at the University of Montreal, revealed that low income Montrealers consider the state of their teeth unsatisfactory. They tend to feel that their dental issues are incurable and opt for dentures more often than other forms of treatment.
Hence, not only elderly Montrealers who wear dentures must be careful about using Poly-Grip, Montrealers of all ages must be careful about using Poly-grip as well.
For more info: Telephone GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Health Care support line at 1-888-521-8033.
Denture Cream Lawsuit Information:
If you or someone you know has suffered from symptoms of a demyelinating disease and use denture cream, you should ask you doctor to test the zinc and copper levels in your blood. This may rule out denture cream neuropathy before you begin any treatment. If you have been diagnosed with zinc poisoning you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the denture cream zinc poisoning attorneys of Ennis & Ennis, P.A. today for a free nationwide case evaluation by filling out the online form on this page or calling toll free: 1-800- 856-6405.
