Dentures

Cleaning your dentures efficiently is very important, as the resin that part of your dentures is made from contains tiny microscopic holes that can collect food debris and bacteria.

It is estimated that roughly half of all denture wearers will use an adhesive to keep their dentures in place and improve comfort. For some, this is just for the first few months while their gums settle down and their mouth gets used to the prosthesis, for others an adhesive will be required for the life of their denture.

People who wear dentures and use denture adhesives need to be aware of a possible complication concerning the amounts of zinc in the preparations of these adhesives. Although zinc is an important trace mineral and an essential part of a healthy diet, as it helps the immune system, too much zinc can be dangerous. Having high levels of zinc in your system can be toxic but it can also lead to low amounts of copper in your body. Copper is important because it is necessary to maintain healthy bones and connective tissue. Low levels of copper can lead to suppression of the bone marrow, and slow degeneration of the spinal cord. The result of this can be crippling nerve damage.

The link between zinc poisoning and denture adhesives only became apparent when cases of people who had developed difficulty walking, and weakness in the limbs were investigated. They were found to have very low levels of copper in their systems and doctors soon realised that this was due to zinc poisoning, but how