Is Your Sparkling Water Harming Your Teeth?

Drinking sparkling water seems to be the right thing to do.

After all staying hydrated is essential – doctors say we need to drink up to 2 litres of water a day.

And to the extent that sparkling water avoids sugar and chemicals from sodas and other beverages, it’s an excellent drink.

Better yet the variety of flavours on the market can make otherwise bland water more tasty to drink.

But if sipping flavoured sparkling water keeps you going throughout the day, you may have heard rumours that it could cause dental problems.

There are certainly some things you need to know about sparkling water, particularly flavoured sparkling water, and Caringbah Dental Care is here to clue you in!

What Is The ‘Truth’ About Sparkling Water?

One truth about drinking too much flavoured water — sparkling or not — is that it can damage your teeth. The flavours are often citric and other fruit acids that can lead to significant tooth erosion. Sparkling water alone is not that bad, but what is added to it can be!

What’s The Science On Sparkling Water And Teeth?

A beverage’s pH is the primary factor in its ability to erode teeth. Anything with a pH below 4.5 or so is a threat to dental health.

The lower the pH, the more acidic a beverage is, and the more damage it can do. Regular tap water normally has a pH between 6 and 8, just about perfect for your mouth, which has a natural pH of about 7.4.

Carbonating water lowers its pH to about 5. This is still in what dentists consider the safe zone – erosion is more likely at a pH below 4.5.

But when flavours are added, particularly citric acid that is often used in bottled flavoured waters, the trouble begins and a lowered pH may begin to strip calcium from the teeth.

When you add carbonation to sparkling water its acidity can be increased. A 2007 study in the International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry determined that flavoured sparkling waters can have a pH as low as 2.7, far below the safe pH level and equivalent to the erosive power of orange juice.

So, that doesn’t sound great, right? But there’s good news as well!

The Advantages Of Unflavoured Sparkling Water And Drinking It Safely

The first point is a very important one. Sparkling water is substantially better for your teeth than soda or juices, which are not only more erosive but also contain unhealthy amounts of sugar and empty calories.

And most dentists believe that, while some laboratory studies have linked sparkling water to erosion, in the real world the risk is minimal. Professor David Manton from the University of Melbourne’s Melbourne Dental School says that carbonated water is “generally safe for teeth as long as it is drunk in moderation”.

Instead of an all-or-nothing approach to sparkling water, use the following strategies to make your sparkling water consumption safe.

Don’t drink it all the time. The main problem with carbonated beverages is when they are continuously consumed as an alternative to plain water for main hydration. The best beverage you can drink is plain fluoridated water.

Decrease sparkling water contact with teeth. The quicker you get a drink past your mouth, the less contact it has with teeth. This decreases erosion time and allows saliva is allowed to neutralise the acid in your mouth. So don’t slowly sip. Instead, use a straw, drink quickly, and then move on.

Drink it with a meal or snack. Eating stimulates the flow of acid-neutralising saliva.

Don’t swish. Don’t hold or swish carbonated water in your mouth.

Rinse with regular water after drinking sparkling water.

Use a straw. A straw keeps fluid away from your teeth.

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