Zinc, an essential mineral for the human body appears vital in maintaining a healthy immune system. Inadequacy of zinc can be possibly tackled by eating beef, yogurt, eggs and fish. This mineral is probably used on a large scale in dental products, especially denture adhesives. Well, a groundbreaking research from the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) now claims that an overabundance of zinc can lead to adverse effects in denture wearers.
Those wearing dentures have to take special attention towards the amount of zinc they consume. It was mentioned that excess intake of zinc with any herb, vitamin, or mineral can produce damaging results. Patients using dentures have to appropriately follow the instructions and recommended dosages on the product label. Many times, patients end up overusing the adhesive and can supposedly ingest toxic levels of zinc. Consuming zinc in high levels can reportedly cause unfavorable neurologic effects.
In order to use denture adhesive in optimal amounts, a thin film or a series of dots have to be placed across the denture surface. Hence patients will not overuse the adhesive. A single tube possibly lasts three to 10 weeks if used on a daily basis. Also an ill-fitting denture may be one reason that a patient could be overusing adhesive. In case the denture doesn’t fit correctly, the patient can probably use more adhesive.
J. A. von Fraunhofer, MSc, PhD, co-researcher and colleagues mention that abusing denture adhesive can result in nausea, stomachache, and mouth irritation. Toxic levels of zinc are apparently responsible for copper deficiency, which further paves way for neurological damage.
The research is published in the March/April 2011 issue of General Dentistry.