With more people becoming aware of the negative effects of
over-sweetened sodas and similar drinks, including tooth erosion and cavities,
many of these same people have been moving toward sugar-free options, such as
sparkling water. According to a recent USA
Today
report, over 570 million gallons of sparkling water are sold in a
given year in the United States. This drink is often assumed to be the
healthier option, but there are some suggestions sparkling water isn’t as great
for your teeth as it might seem. If you’re a sparkling water drinker, then here
are a few things you should know about this popular beverage.
Sodas and the Teeth
Regarding
sugary sodas, they cause two key problems for your teeth—they’re packed with
sugar, which may result in cavities and tooth decay, and they’re high in
acidity, per the American Dental Association. Acidic beverages and foods like
sodas are much more likely to add to erosion in the teeth than nonacidic
beverages and foods. Due to the negative effects sodas have on teeth, the main
recommendation from the ADA is to choose another beverage. Among beverages that
are ADA-recommended are milk, water, and unsweet sparkling water.
How Sparkling Water Affects
the Teeth
While
sparkling water has no sugar in it, it is a carbonated drink, and it's that
carbonation that worries a few people. There have been several studies
examining acidity within various beverages, such as sparkling water, and one published
by the ADA measured pH levels in roughly 400 beverages, including sparkling
waters, sweetened sodas, juices, sports drinks, and teas.
The researchers
running the study classified the drinks’ erosive capabilities based on pH levels.
Drinks with pH’s below 3.0 were deemed "extremely erosive," pH’s
between 3.0 to 3.99 were deemed "erosive," and pH’s above 4.0 were
considered "minimally erosive." Per U.S. News & World Report
, most sports drinks rated below 3.0 while
some sparkling waters were above 4.0, making them "minimally
erosive."
Ada
McVean, a researcher with McGill University, ran a comparable study. Rather
than testing a wider range of drinks, she focused on the pH levels of nine specific
sparkling water brands. The drinks were tested at both room and refrigerator
temperature in addition to decarbonated and carbonated forms. In every test,
the sparkling waters had pH levels above 4.0, with the level tending to rise whenever
decarbonated and at room temp, suggesting sparkling water becomes more erosive to
teeth in the form you're more likely to consume it—bubbly and cold.
To
answer the question regarding sparkling water’s effects on the teeth, it’s less
erosive when compared to other drinks. More importantly, as pointed out by the
ADA, it has similar effects on enamel as non-carbonated waters. To keep the
teeth as strong as possible, you can consider swapping out sugary drinks for a sparkling
water, but avoid replacing fluoridated, regular water with a sparkling water.
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