Ask the Dentist: Is it Okay to Drink Carbonated Water?
A patient recently said she mostly drank carbonated water and was that okay – I decided to do a deep dive into the topic of beverages and their effect on one’s teeth.
It’s pretty common knowledge nowadays that soda, ie cola, is bad for one’s teeth, but what about carbonated flavored waters which are so popular. They don’t have all the added sugars, which is great, right? What is carbonated water? It is made by dissolving carbon dioxide gas into water which results in carbonic acid! So even if you are making your own at home, which has become popular in recent years, it is an acidic beverage. Adding salt and minerals can help lessen the acidity. You can purchase pH paper and test you beverages if you’re not sure. What’s so bad about an acidic beverage, you may wonder.
Consider this:
There are often 2 layers of a tooth exposed in the mouth. Tooth enamel, which is the strongest outermost layer of a tooth, will be dissolved at a pH below 5.5. Dentin is the next layer underneath the enamel and is often exposed in the mouth if there are any areas of gingival recession.
The majority of older adults will have a few to several areas of exposed dentin in their mouth. It is also not uncommon for some young adults to have exposed dentin. Dentin, being softer and more porous than enamel, will dissolve at a pH below 6.5. The pH scale is used to measure the acidity or basicity of a solution and ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Anything less than 7 is acidic and should be avoided, especially if you are already prone to getting cavities. Plain drinking water is neutral with a pH ranging from 6.5 – 9.
If your 24oz Stanley cup is filled with anything other than plain water and you are sipping all day, you are likely bathing your teeth in acid and putting them at great risk for cavities and acid erosion.
Please consider the following when it comes to your favorite highly acidic drink: shorten the duration of exposure, do NOT sip for hours, rinse out with plain water after slugging it down, and stay hydrated – water – water – water.
