Are you trying to be healthier this year? Are you making changes to your daily habits? One habit that we strongly encourage for a healthier smile is drinking more water. Water is important to remaining well-hydrated and avoiding dry mouth which is harmful to teeth and gums.
Some people find that plain water doesn’t satisfy their cravings, so they are opting for carbonated, or sparkling water in its place. Today, our White Pearl Dentistry team is going to take a look at whether carbonated water is good for your smile. Especially since all carbonated drinks come with higher acid levels, and acids generally weaken tooth enamel.
So, according to a study done on teeth that were already removed and donated to the research to determine whether sparkling water attacks tooth enamel more than just your average lab water, the answer was, no. How can this be? The study affirmed that both carbonated water and normal lab water had the same effects on tooth enamel. So, the acid levels in the carbonated water were on par with regular lab water. It read them both as “water”.
This means you can safely drink carbonated water to replace your customary sugary beverages. Just make sure it is plain sparkling water, without citrus flavors added. Citrus will increase the acid levels, which isn’t good for your pearly whites. If you can’t live without citrus flavored water, it can help if you drink it with a meal to help neutralize acids, or drink it all at once instead of sipping all day long. Your smile will thank you!
We still encourage our patients to drink plenty of plain water to keep up healthy saliva production, which protects your teeth. If you can drink tap water with fluoride in it, the better for your teeth!
If you have questions for our team, feel free to give us a call or schedule a dental cleaning and checkup with our dentist by calling 734-222-0055. Dr. Nadia Hamouda and our team are here to help you maintain a healthy smile in Ann Arbor, Michigan.