If you’re looking for simple and healthy ways to help your family find alternatives to pop or soda-type drinks, you may be wondering, “is sparkling water safer for my teeth?”
Sparkling water is essentially carbonated water. And as we all know, tap water is completely safe for your teeth (and with fluoride even has some protective characteristics)! Carbonated water does have a slightly more acidic pH than tap water, however, it’s not as acidic as traditional soda.
Plus, sparkling water doesn’t have loads of sugar like soda and sports drinks do. That fact alone makes it significantly safer for your teeth when you’re looking for something different to drink.
Choosing the “Best” Sparkling Water for Teeth
Not all sparkling waters are created equal. Technically, the best sparkling water for teeth is one without any additives, such as club soda. But let’s be honest; most people don’t drink club soda alone or at all.
If you prefer flavored sparkling water, it can make your drink a bit more tolerable if not downright tasty. And according to the ADA, as long as your sparkling water doesn’t have added sugars, it’s really pretty safe for teeth.
Once you start adding sugar into sparkling water to sweeten it, you’re flirting with the same bad side effects that you see from drinking traditional soda. Even artificial sweeteners can increase acid byproducts on teeth.
How Often You Drink It
One of the most important factors with “good” or “bad” drinks is how often the liquid is coating your teeth. Increased frequency of exposure can cause more damage to the teeth. We recommend consuming these beverages with a meal (reduces acid exposure) and/or in one sitting as opposed to sipping on it over several hours. It’s always better to limit the contact time so that any acid that is there doesn’t have much exposure to your teeth.
Either way, sparkling carbonated waters are here to stay and are extremely popular. The dental community celebrates this as it is leaps and bounds safer and less detrimental to teeth when compared with our number one nemesis, soda\pop type drinks.
For more smile-healthy nutritional advice, call Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan.
About Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan
Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic Specialists of Michigan has specialized in pediatric dentistry and orthodontics since 1968. Our family-friendly and newly renovated office gives patients and families a more comfortable and consistent experience with dentistry from the very beginning. Our pediatric dentists treat children from newborn to 18 years of age while our orthodontists provide care for both children and adults and are proud to be Premier Providers of Invisalign and Invisalign Teen services. We have the ability to treat all patients with compassion and individuality, including those that may have special needs as we have treatment rooms available for children who require additional privacy and customized care options. We pioneered valued hospital affiliations to allow dental services to be performed at DMC Children’s Hospital and St. John Macomb Hospital, when appropriate or necessary, and our specialists are also proud to be on staff at Henry Ford and Beaumont hospitals.
