Over the last several years the sparkling water market has exploded. Everyone has seen Perrier and Pellegrino. They have been around for decades, but recently there has been an influx of new, flavored carbonated water brands like La Croix and Bubly. Wegmans Food Markets and all of the major beverage brands have even jumped on the bandwagon. If you're like me, you love these drinks (especially the Wegmans Cherry Pomegranate!), but what's the difference between these, plain-old water, and other types of beverages? 

Of course, we're going to look at this from an angle that focuses on your teeth. I'm not going to get into the overall health aspects of drinking carbonated beverages. What we need to consider is the acid content in your food and beverages. Simply put: the enemy of tooth enamel is acid. 

Water, when pure, has a neutral pH. That means it's not acidic or basic and will not erode enamel. Flavored water products often contain citric acid, which will damage enamel. On top of that, carbonated beverages contain carbonic acid by nature, further lowering the pH into a more acidic environment. Throw sugar into the mix (like in a Cola or Gingerale) and you have yourself a situation that is a disaster for your teeth. This is the stuff cavities are made of!

So how can you minimize the negative effects?

• The obvious thing to do is limit the intake. If you're drinking several carbonated beverages per day, maybe it's time to consider reducing the intake to 1 per day. Maybe even a few per week.
• A lot of people say that they don't like the taste of water. Perhaps infuse your water with fruit. There are pitchers like this one that will get the job done for you. Of course, this may add some acid to the water, but you don't need to worry about the carbonic acid in this case. 
• Drink these beverages at meals only. This will consolidate the acid attack to limited intervals throughout the day, giving your teeth a break in between these attacks. See section 2 in a previous blog. 
• Even if you alternate regular and carbonated water you'll do your teeth a favor. You can also rinse with water after drinking something that you think is acidic. 
• Hydrate with regular, plain-old H2O. There is nothing better than the neutral pH of water. No enamel damage here and your body will thank you!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, give CrossKeys Dental a call or stop in anytime!

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CrossKeys Dental is located at 110 CrossKeys Office Park in Fairport. Dr. DuPre՛ and Dr. Badali provide comprehensive family dentistry and are always welcoming new patients. Visit us at www.CrossKeysDentalFairport.com for more information.

© 2018 CrossKeys Dental in Fairport, NY by Vince Badali, DDS