Is sparkling water bad for my teeth?

Is sparkling water bad for my teeth?

We have written a lot about the disastrous things that sugar-filled fizzy drinks can do to your teeth, but one of the lesser investigated beverages we all love is sparkling or carbonated water. Brands like Schweppes, Perrier, San Pellegrino and Voss all offer sparkling or carbonated water drinks. The bubbly concoctions are a refreshing substitute to their sweet flavoured brethren and provide a satisfying thirst quench – but are they bad for your teeth?

Unfortunately, the beloved drink does have a downfall.

Carbonated water, sometimes known as Seltzer Water, is made by dissolving carbon dioxide gas into water using pressure. One of the ingredients in carbon dioxide gas is called Carbonic Acid and can wear gradually at the enamel of your teeth. The good news is that because it is not coupled with other acids such as citric acid and the ever-present sugars of other fizzy drinks, it is not as damaging.

Without the flavourings found in other soft drinks, carbonated water has a relatively neutral pH level. This gives an easy to understand comparison.

DrinkP h Level
Water7.0 (neutral)
Carbonated Water5.5
Coke2.5

That said, it is best to enjoy a soda water during meal time, steering clear of the bubbly stuff in between and sticking to the safety of plain water. When you consume drinks with acidic qualities they damage and corrode the enamel of your teeth removing the minerals, ultimately weakening them.

At Somerset Dental we often use the F-word for any questions like these – Frequency. Provided you aren’t guzzling liters of carbonated water a day for years on end, then the impact is likely to be very minimal. If you simply can’t imagine your life without a bottle of soda water somewhere, try using a straw positioned in the middle of your tongue so that the liquid doesn’t come in to contact with your teeth.

If you are concerned about the amount of soda water or carbonated beverages you drink and the affect they may have on your teeth, organise an appointment with one of our Somerset Dental Care dentists on 1300 707 046.

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