Do Bottled-water beverages cause tooth decay, sensitivity and other concerns?
We all know water is good for our health. 8 glasses a day! Dehydration is a serious health concern for people of all ages. But what about bottled-water beverages including flavored waters, sports drinks, and many other alternatives? Are they good for us?
Who regulates bottled-water drinks?
While the EPA regulates our public drinking supply, the FDA regulates bottled-water beverages.
What you need to know about these beverages and how they affect your teeth
Bottled-water beverages invariably have additives and that’s where the problem lies. Additives can affect the PH of your drinks. Drinks with a lower PH have a higher acidity and contribute to enamel erosion, decay and sensitivity.
These drinks include not only soda and sports drinks such as Gatorade, but bottled water and yes, beer. Sugars in these drinks are converted into acid by bacteria in your mouth. Tap water, on the other hand, has a relatively balanced PH.
What about sweetened, carbonated beverages?
Soft drinks, including the diet varieties, are associated with osteoporosis in women due to the phosphorus content. Phosphorus leaches calcium from the body. This is no small concern. So women who drink diet coke on a regular basis risk osteoporosis.
How about carbonated water?
Carbonation in plain water does not affect tooth decay. However, carbonated water drinks often have additives such as sodium, acids, flavoring and sweeteners and these additives lead to cavities. Club soda contains sodium. Tonic water contains sweetener and flavoring. Sparkling water contains sodium, citric acid, sweeteners, and sometimes even caffeine!
Sports Drinks
Sports drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade contain excessive amounts of sugar so it is important to consume sparingly. Some sports drinks contain caffeine which is proven to induce a physiological and psychological desire to drink more of the beverage.
A demand for new and “improved” additives
Don’t be fooled! There is an ever increasing demand for “all natural” products. Adding probiotics to bottled-water drinks is an example. But unfortunately probiotics are bitter and so are combined with flavor enhancing products.
Salt is natural and often contained in sweetened drinks – but salt significantly increases the consumption of those drinks. As a consequence, obesity, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease are correlated with these drinks.
Everything in moderation
Additives affect teeth and overall health. Overuse of drinks that contain any number of these additives cause tooth decay and also affect the body’s ability to absorb and excrete byproducts.
We encourage you to carefully check ingredients on labels. Proper hydration is best achieved by drinking clean water!
