What My Dentist Didn't Tell Me

Trey Smith

A little over two years ago, I had all my teeth pulled. After oral surgery, I went home with a new set of dentures (which were subsequently replaced by a much better fitting pair). Along with a new set of teeth and a bloody mouth, the dentist sent me home with a complimentary tube of Fixodent, a name brand denture adhesive.

Once my mouth had healed, my wife -- who already had dentures -- showed me how to glue my teeth into place. It all seemed so simple. My upper dentures don't need the goop and my bottom dentures don't need that much. It took me a while to adjust to my false teeth, but, in time, I've gotten it down pat and I even sort of like them better than the Real McCoys.

But there's something my dentist didn't tell me about the complimentary tube of Fixodent. It contains zinc and studies have shown that the amount of zinc in tooth glue is dangerous to one's health!! I only recently discovered this information by accident. While some of the manufacturers of denture adhesive reluctantly have switched to zinc-free formulas, the Fixodent people stubbornly are holding out. In other words, I have unknowingly been putting poison in my mouth each day.

What kinds of problems does the zinc in tooth glue cause? Neurological ones! That's just peachy, isn't it? I have been beset for years with neurological issues and I have been using a product that exacerbates them!! Some of the typical symptoms reported include numbness and tingling in the feet and hands -- problems I have -- as well as leg pain and, in some serious cases, paralysis.

What is worse is that these studies first came out in 2006 -- that's six years ago. Even though scientists quickly figured out what the culprit was (excessive zinc robs the body of adequate amounts of copper), the corporations that make tooth glue resisted changing their formulas. Most of them didn't get around to changing their formulas until sued by a group of consumers. In other words, they refused to show concern for the health and safety of their customers UNTIL it became evident that a) they would lose business and b) they might be found guilty in court which would cost them a pretty penny.

And this is how it tends to go in the world of corporate capitalism. The bottom line -- short-term profit -- is all that matters. If it is discovered that your product might make people sick or even kill them, you ignore it until you are forced to change. In some instances, you may have known all along that your product makes people sick, but as long as nobody else knows it, it is business as usual.

Needless to say, I no longer use Fixodent. I'm trying out different brands that are zinc-free. So far, they aren't as effect as the zinc-based product, but that's okay by me. I would rather need to use a product more frequently than to invite further neurological impairments into my already neurologically-impaired life!!