Denture liners, also sometimes known as denture reliners, or denture relines, are an excellent solution to the problem of ill-fitting dentures, and thus can be a great weapon in the fight against zinc poisoning from denture adhesives. There are two basic categories of denture liners; the type that only your dentist can apply, and the type you can apply at home. Naturally, if you can afford the type which your dentist will provide, by all means, go that route. A professionally fitted set of denture liners will be made of higher-grade materials and may last longer than the at-home version.
If, however, you are saving up for new dentures, implant supported dentures, or some other solution, the at-home version is still a fantastic choice, and well within reach for most everyone. And the great news is that in doing my research, I found all denture liners to be zinc free! Home denture reline kits run about $10-$20 per plate, and can last up to two years.
While there are several different brands of denture liners on the market, most, if not all, operate on the same basic principle. They are made of a somewhat pliable material which, when applied to the interior of your dentures and bitten down on, takes on the shape of your gumline. This allows natural suction to do the work of holding your dentures in place, just like it (hopefully) did when your dentures were new.
Most of these kits involve an acrylic (plastic) material. This means that you must mix together two substances (usually a powder and a liquid) so that the plastic can harden into a solid when you’ve finished the molding process. While this can be a messy process (and I have read that the plastic can have an unpleasant taste when it is still in its moldable stage), it only needs to be done once in a long while, so most folks find it to be a very worthwhile hassle. Here’s the lowdown on the most popular brands of denture liners:
Perma Soft is probably the most popular denture liner product. The reviews on Amazon are generally good (there will always be someone who doesn’t like a product ), and they seem to agree on one thing: follow the package instructions for best results. I know this may seem like a no-brainer for some folks, but you’d be amazed how many others will only read part, or think they remember how to use a product from the last time, and then wind up unhappy with their results. Another tip: while this liner is what a dentist would call a “soft” reline, the acrylic does become quite hard when it cures. While this may make the name seem incorrect, technically it is still a soft denture liner.
Acryline 2 ranks second among the reviewers at Amazon, and is very similar in application to Perma Soft. In fact, they may be the same material, but not being a chemist, I can’t analyze them and say for certain. An excellent tip I found among the reviews for Acryline 2 was this: if it’s your first-time using this product, put the materials in the refrigerator before combining them; this works because plastics require heat for the hardening process. While this material will still generate its own heat, starting the ingredients out cold will slow this reaction time, giving you more time to work with the product before it sets. This can save you a lot of heating and scraping! Since this product and Perma Soft are similar, putting Perma Soft in the fridge would probably give you more working time as well.
Flexiliner is a third acrylic denture liner option, and appears to only be available via eBay at the time of this writing. Still, the feedback on this product has been 100% good, and the distributors say it’s similar to the discontinued product Denturite (which was a Sea-Bond product).
Last and probably least is a relatively new kid on the block called the Weber Denture Liner Kit. Reviews of this are universally bad, and even the powdered adhesive included with the kit gets panned. I include it here mostly because of the review that mentions that this product is essentially just paraffin wax. I’m guessing if someone can get away with selling paraffin wax as denture liners, that if you happen to have some laying around (the kind you use for canning, not the dyed and perfumed sort found in candles!), it might be usable as a make-do measure until you can lay hands on the acrylic denture liner kit of your choice.
Whichever denture liners you choose, you will undoubtedly see an improvement in your bite and far less slippage. Possibly the best thing about your new denture liners, though, is that they will allow you to use less (or perhaps even zero) denture adhesive. So no matter whether you’re using a zinc-free denture adhesive or not, you will be ingesting less adhesive!
Through August 7, 2010, Walgreens is offering 25% off all of their dental and denture care items! Just enter the coupon code SMILE at checkout to receive this discount.
Those of you searching for zinc-free denture adhesives will want to take advantage of the great pricing this affords you; you’ll save $2.00 each on Sea Bond Uppers and Lowers, and find similarly good deals throughout the denture care section. Just don’t forget to use code SMILE at check-out, to get these discounts!
I have long been a fan of the organic and natural movement. When I moved to the big city at a young age and discovered stores like Whole Foods, I thought I had found nirvana (even though at 20 I couldn’t afford to buy much ). But if you go into one of these stores and look in the dental care section, you will notice one glaring omission: zero kinds of organic denture adhesive. Not even a natural denture adhesive! Considering the recent debacle over zinc in denture adhesives, you would think that at least ONE of the organic or natural companies would step up to the plate, especially the big names. Tom’s of Maine? Nope. J/A/S/O/N? Nada. Heck, you’d think at least Radius would come out with an ergonomic denture brush, but still, no dice.
There are a couple of “homemade” suggestions for denture adhesive, most notably peanut butter and bubblegum, but in truth neither of these are truly natural (unless you buy natural or organic peanut butter, I suppose) Nor will they meet denture-wearers’ long-term requirements. So this is my call to action: I get a lot of readers to this site. Now, more than ever, people are in need of an organic denture adhesive, or at the very least an all-natural denture adhesive. So if you will take a couple of moments and contact the major players in the organic/natural dental industry, perhaps we can remedy this gap in the market. If they won’t…I’ve got a good mind to start experimenting. Here are the links directly to the contact pages of the two product makers who take up the most shelf space in the dental care section of my local natural food store:
In the meantime, I’m still recommending Cushion Grip to anyone who will listen, as it is the only solution currently out there which contains no ingredients that might be accidentally swallowed by the user.
As I mentioned in this post, it is possible to shoot yourself in the foot by reversing your zinc poisoning symptoms before you’ve been officially diagnosed with zinc poisoning. But what if you live in an area, or just happen to have a popular doctor, which makes it difficult to get seen in a timely manner? Both my parents and I have, at times, had doctors who needed a month (or more!) lead time for an appointment.
While these doctors may be fantastic and you want to stick with them, you probably don’t want to keep poisoning yourself with zinc in denture cream while you wait for your appointment. On the other hand, if you are at all interested in joining one of the class action suits against the makers of Poligrip or Fixodent, you will need documented evidence that your zinc levels were high before you switched to a zinc free denture cream. Then once you’ve made the switch, you can follow up with your doctor and either verify that your mineral imbalance is correcting itself, or determine if you need some sort of supplementation.
So what’s a body to do? Keep poisoning themselves? Switch and hope their levels don’t fall before their next doctor’s visit? How about neither!
With the growing number of uninsured people, and the internet’s tendency toward instant gratification, a new type of service has sprung up that offers laboratory tests whenever you want them, without the need for your doctor’s orders. While I’m not suggesting that you try to “go around” your doctor (unless, of course, they refuse to believe that you may be being poisoned by the zinc in denture cream), I am suggesting that having the lab tests done as soon as possible, so that you can begin correcting your imbalances quickly, is absolutely in your best interest!
These services are many, and you may find them by hitting up your local yellow pages, or by checking out PersonaLabs, below. Of course, you probably aren’t interested in being “anonymous,” since you’ll want it documented to whom your results belong, but such testing companies do offer that option as well.
PersonaLabs: These folks do serum (blood) testing for both zinc and copper (remember you will want to document/monitor both, as excess zinc causes copper depletion). In addition they are offering a 5% discount coupon code as of this writing; just use discount code PCJ09 at checkout. Their other advantages are:
lab work done on your schedule
no doctor’s orders or office visit necessary
online results in 24-48 hours
large network of labs where you can have your samples drawn, including LabCorp
Just head over here, and search for “zinc” or “copper” (without the quotes) in the search box near the upper-right-hand corner of the screen. Then click the “Find a Test!” button, and you’re on your way!
Another query that seems to be leading more and more visitors to my site is: Does Cushion Grip Contain Zinc? Given all the hullaballo that zinc poisoning from denture adhesives is causing these days, this is no surprise.
The answer to this query, happily, is no; Cushion Gripdoes not contain zinc. Cushion Grip bills itself as a “thermoplastic” denture adhesive. While I am normally a bit leery of plastics, and especially of having them come into contact with food as its heated, I believe Cushion Grip is one of the better options when it comes to switching to a zinc-free denture adhesive.
Why? Because it’s almost impossible to swallow this stuff! It’s a rather thick substance, that really only becomes soft enough to move around when heated to the temperature of hot tap water (about 110-130 degrees, in most households). Therefore, it is not going to “melt” at the temperatures normally found in the human mouth, even when eating warm foods. This means there is almost no chance of accidentally swallowing it. So no matter what its ingredients are (though I once again repeat, Cushion Grip does NOT contain zinc), you will not be ingesting them.
Naturally, this means that the process of applying Cushion Grip to your dentures will take a bit of getting used to, and you may need to soak them in hot water for a bit when it comes time to peel it off. There are lots of reviews that help explain this process over here on Amazon. I especially recommend scrolling or searching down to the review written by the reviewer named echoscream. It gives you an excellent tutorial on how to use the product properly. It will also give you an idea if perhaps the product is simply not for you; some folks don’t want to mess with hot tap water and drying off their dentures, and for them my stand-by recommendations are Effergripand Secure Denture(also both zinc-free).
Though my mom didn’t have a chance to use this more than a handful of times, it seemed to work very well for her; I did not hear her complain so much of food getting between her dentures and gums, and she didn’t seem to mind that it worked a little differently from her old, zinc-containing denture cream. At least, I never heard her complain about it, and believe me, she was nothing if not vocal when something ticked her off.
I’ve heard a lot about lawsuits regarding denture cream zinc poisoning. Do I have a case?
Only a lawyer can tell you for sure! For one thing, there are so many variables to determining whether or not a case is prosecutable that for me to even begin to offer advice would not only be a disservice to you, but would also probably be illegal (given that I’m not a lawyer)! One thing that I have noticed during my extensive research on denture cream zinc, however, is that there can be a really nasty catch-22 involved. That is to say, if you suspect that denture cream zinc is the cause of your symptoms, and quit using it, your zinc levels are likely to decline (and other important indicators may also return to normal, such as iron and copper levels). If you are then tested by a doctor, there will be no evidence that your blood levels of these minerals were ever out of balance. The sad fact is, this information could easily be used against you should you try to prosecute your case! Don’t take my word for it, though; just scan down to the last few sentences of this article.
Now, am I recommending that you put off your switch to a zinc-free denture cream until you can get in to see a lawyer? Absolutely not! What I am trying to point out here is the importance of having your doctor test you for these mineral imbalances before discontinuing use, and then of course following up with tests afterward as well, so that your case is well-documented by a physician, and there can be no question as to whether or not the denture cream zinc was the culprit. If you have a long wait to see your doctor, or if your doctor simply refuses to believe that zinc could be causing your symptoms, please see this post about your other options for getting tested.
The good news is, if you successfully prosecute your case, you may be eligible for reimbursement and/or compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other items as well. If you do not personally know an attorney specializing in Personal Injury Litigation (the type of litigation that denture cream zinc poisoning would fall under), here are links to a couple of sites which can help you locate one near you:
I urge you to contact a lawyer licensed to practice in your state to find out if you have a case. Unless more people begin putting pressure on the manufacturers of products which harm us, they will continue producing poisonous products and marketing them to unsuspecting people indefinitely.
I’ve discussed many different types of zinc-free denture adhesives on this site, but what if I told you you could do away with denture adhesives altogether? There is a way, and it is rapidly growing in popularity: implant supported dentures.
What are implant supported dentures?
If you are not familiar with the growing field of implant dentistry, you may not have heard of this new technology. Put simply, the dentist places metal implants into the bone structure of the mouth. Then dentures are either created or retrofitted so that they have holes or indentations corresponding to where these implants protrude from the jawbone or upper palate. The implants then fit, hand-in-glove, into the indentations in the dentures, and voila! Sneeze-proof denture fit! Implants can also greatly improve the security of ill-fitting partial dentures as well.
This sounds painful…
While virtually all surgery does have some pain associated with it, this is a relatively minor surgery, and can be done under local anesthetic in your dentist’s office. Moreover, let’s be honest; do your ill-fitting dentures not cause you pain? The resounding response from folks who have chosen implant supported dentures is that they would gladly accept the short-term pain of recovering from the implant surgery over the constant, on-going pain of dentures which slip, slide, and abrade the interior of their mouths day in and day out. Add in the pain you are likely to suffer from the long-term effects of ingesting denture adhesive, and the choice quickly becomes clear.
Am I a candidate for implant supported dentures?
Only a dentist trained in implants can tell you for certain. As you may expect, you will need to be beyond adolescence, so that your bone growth is complete (otherwise you would risk having your implants shift). Older adults must have a sufficient amount of bone structure in which to anchor the implants. However, even if you lack the needed bone structure, there are several options for replacing it so that implants can be used. Among these techniques are bone graft surgery, synthetic bone implants, or even bovine (cow) bone implants. This is why it is so important to consult a dentist who is trained in implants; as only he or she is qualified to guide you in selecting among these further options to support implants. The upside of this is, if you do have implants, they can help anchor your bone and gum tissue, and prevent any further loss.
Are there any other considerations?
Recovery time is the other major consideration in choosing implant supported dentures, and will be another area where your implant-trained dentist can help you make decisions. Some patients are able to have the implant surgery and begin wearing their new dentures just a few days later, once the swelling has gone down. Other patients will need between two and four months of recovery time between their implant surgery and the time they begin to wear their dentures. This will depend on many factors, including how much bone and gum tissue you have, how long ago your natural teeth were removed, and whether or not your immune system is compromised, which can slow healing.
What does it cost?
As you might expect of any surgery, the cost can be considerable. If you have good dental insurance, they may cover at least part of the cost for you; this is another item to be discussed with your dentist. Many dentists who offer implant supported dentures also offer financing options, in order to help their patients have the best possible quality of life.
Still, given the expense of this option, you may need to save for a little while. In the meantime, be sure to use a zinc-free denture adhesive and, if you have been using denture creams for more than a few weeks, consult with your doctor about being tested for zinc poisoning.
When considering who might benefit from learning about the zinc in denture adhesives, many people naturally think of senior citizens as being most in need of this information. While it is statistically true that a greater percentage of older adults wear dentures, zinc poisoning does not discriminate! You don’t have to be old, or in poor health, to experience the adverse effects of zinc in your denture adhesive.
Take for example the story of Elizabeth Gilley, a 26-year-old who, due to a genetic condition, had to begin wearing dentures as a teenager. By the age of 24, she could no longer walk or drive a car, all due to the deleterious effects of having too much zinc in her system over a period of several years. The zinc in denture adhesives affects the young and healthy just as ruthlessly as those more advanced in years. We can’t afford to make the mistake of identifying this as an issue which affects only the old and infirm. Ensure that your friends both young and old are aware of the problem, as well as the many zinc-free alternatives which are currently available.
Now, I’m not suggesting that you go around asking everyone you know if they wear dentures, but bear in mind that many people you know may very well have them, either full or partial. If the topic ever comes up, and you learn that someone you know is a denture-wearer, be sure to make them aware of the dangers of zinc in denture adhesives. Even though the original study linking denture cream zinc to neuropathy and other ailments was published in 2008, there is still an amazing number of people who are unaware of the harm zinc-containing denture adhesives can do to their health. Don’t let your friends be among them!
Almost every denture wearer has had to contend with their dentures not fitting properly. This is due to a number of factors, but primarily it’s due to the fact that, once teeth are removed, the interior of the mouth changes continually. Much like grass and plant roots hold soil in place, teeth and jaw bones work together to keep one another healthy and intact. The dentures themselves also experience wear, which can also cause them to not fit as well as the day they were made.
Many denture wearers, especially those who use denture creams to make up for this poor fit, are at greater risk for zinc poisoning – they often use increasing amounts of denture cream over time. In addition, because the fit is not as tight, the denture cream is more likely to leak out around the edges, causing more of it to be ingested (swallowed) by the denture wearer. As we now know, swallowing any denture cream is a recipe for disaster. So what can we do?
As I’ve been preaching all along, changing to a zinc-free denture adhesive is a great way to avoid this problem. I already have an extensive list of the zinc-free denture creams available on the market today. However, if you’re just trading one denture adhesive for another, you are not truly solving the problem. According to the real experts at the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP), the best way to avoid overuse of any denture adhesive, whether it contains zinc or not, is to ensure that you dentures have a proper fit. In fact, the ACP states that the average life span of a pair of dentures is 5 years! After that, they will either need to be replaced (more expensive) or relined (less expensive option). This will ensure that you need to use a minimum amount of denture adhesive of any kind. In fact, the ACP states that dentures which fit well do not require the regular use of denture adhesive at all!
I realize it can be expensive to reline or replace your dentures every five years, but now that you know their normal lifespan, it should at least be possible to budget for these processes. This should also improve your denture-wearing experience overall, as well-fitting dentures are far more comfortable to eat, drink, and generally live with.
Many folks who have been using denture creams containing zinc are now looking to reverse the ill effects of the zinc poisoning they’ve been subjected to. Reversing zinc poisoning, if the poisoning is caught early enough, can actually be a relatively simple matter, as long as it is done properly.
The first and most important step is to visit your doctor, and confirm that you are, indeed, suffering from zinc poisoning, or hyperzincemia. This can be determined by a simple blood test. At the same time, make sure the doctor orders a test for your copper levels as well, since hypocupremia, or an unhealthfully low copper level, is a common side effect of zinc poisoning, and comes with its own set of nasty symptoms including anemia, aneurysm, skin damage and more. If you have a long wait to get an appointment with your doctor, or if your doctor simply refuses to believe that your symptoms might be caused by zinc poisoning from denture cream, please see this post about your alternative options.
Once your doctor has confirmed that your zinc levels are too high, and/or your copper levels are too low, you will undoubtedly want to change your denture adhesive to one that will not poison you further. Please reference this list of all the different denture adhesives without zinc that are currently available. There are so many options, you are bound to find one which suits your preferences and needs.
Next, your doctor can recommend copper supplementation levels that will help restore the balance of these two essential minerals. Most often this involves supplementing with copper alone. There are many high-quality copper supplements available on the market today, but not all of them are correct for all people. This is one of the many reasons it is so important to work in concert with your doctor to determine whether or not your supplementation regimen is working to reverse your zinc poisoning. That way, you can supplement, test, measure your results, and adjust as necessary. Anything less is a shot in the dark which you don’t want to be taking with your health!
TwinLab makes easy-to-swallow capsules in the popular 2mg dosage. They are a long-established company (since 1968), and are well-trusted in the industry. Thus you can be certain you are getting your money’s worth with their supplements.
Some doctors will prefer that you take chelated copper supplements. If yours recommends this route, Solgaris a long-established company (since 1947) providing chelated copper supplements.
A third option, often touted by more holistically-minded practitioners, is colloidal copper. MesoCopper is probably the best-known brand of colloidal copper on the market today. I could not find a date of establishment for Purest Colloids, the makers of MesoCopper, but I personally have been aware of them since some time in the early-mid 2000s.
One really cannot say which form of copper will be most effective for any given individual. This is why it is so important to be tested on a regular basis, and also to be aware of the various forms of copper supplements on the market. The bioavailability (the amount of a supplement that is actually available for your body to absorb) of a given supplement and your personal chemistry will have much more to do with the benefits you derive from a supplement than any dosage recommendation or marketing hype on the bottle.
Please note, I am not a doctor, nor am I qualified in any way to recommend these products as a cure for zinc poisoning. I post this merely to help those whose doctor has instructed them to supplement with copper, because finding such preparations can sometimes be difficult. Please consult with a licensed medical practitioner before beginning ANY supplementation regime, and NEVER treat zinc or copper imbalances without being properly monitored. Your health and your life depend on this!
), and they seem to agree on one thing: follow the package instructions for best results. I know this may seem like a no-brainer for some folks, but you’d be amazed how many others will only read part, or think they remember how to use a product from the last time, and then wind up unhappy with their results. Another tip: while this liner is what a dentist would call a “soft” reline, the acrylic does become quite hard when it cures. While this may make the name seem incorrect, technically it is still a soft denture liner.
Here are the links directly to the contact pages of the two product makers who take up the most shelf space in the dental care section of my local natural food store:
is a long-established company (since 1947) providing chelated copper supplements.