Are All Carbonated Drinks Harmful For Your Smile?

Most people know that sodas—which are carbonated—aren’t good for their teeth. This is due to their extremely high sugar content, but is carbonation harmful to your smile?

Carbonated drinks are made with carbon dioxide, which is added to the water under pressure
to make the bubbles you love. Sparkling water is an attractive option for people who love the
fizz of soda but want to protect their teeth from the acidity and harmful sugar content of these
drinks.

All carbonated drinks pose some risk to teeth—here’s why.

It Turns into Carbonic Acid

Carbon dioxide turns to carbonic acid in your mouth after you consume sparkling water. This
makes this beverage more acidic than regular water. If you’re drinking sparkling water with fruit
added to it such as lemons or limes, this will make it even more acidic.

Although carbonic acid isn’t nearly as damaging to tooth enamel as soda, it still is more acidic
than plain water. This makes it more likely to affect your tooth enamel and even wear away
your tooth enamel under certain circumstances.

 

It’s Not as Good as Plain Water

Is carbonation harmful to your smile, including sparkling water? Sparkling water is still safe to drink and is much healthier for your smile than a traditional soda.
Water has a neutral pH of around 7, while some sodas can be as low as 2, which is extremely
acidic. Sparkling water has a pH of 3-4. Remember that anything below 4 is considered to be
harmful to your tooth enamel.

People who already have trouble with sensitive teeth and enamel erosion may consider
consuming less sparkling water than those who have healthy smiles. If you already have oral
health problems, plain water may be your safest beverage.

So is sparkling water better for your smile than soda? Absolutely. Is sparkling water better than
regular water? The answer is no.

How to Drink Sparkling Water Safely

You can still enjoy sparkling water and minimize any potential acidic effects on your smile by
doing a few things. First, choose mineral sparkling water. This type of water contains beneficial minerals such as
calcium phosphate, which can help protect the smile from the lower pH of carbonated water.

Secondly, drink your carbonated beverages with a meal. While eating, saliva is produced to
buffer your teeth against any harmful foods. This can also help guard your teeth against any
potential harm from sparkling water.

Third, remember that if you have any oral health issues such as dry mouth or sensitive teeth,
it’s a good idea to minimize your consumption of sparkling water. Although there’s no specific
amount that you should or shouldn’t drink, remember that regular water is always your best
choice.

Do you enjoy carbonated beverages? Consider that while carbonated water is better than soda,
it’s still a bit more acidic than traditional water. Regular water should always be your main
beverage, but it’s healthy to enjoy sparkling water on occasion as long as your smile is healthy
and you take advantage of the above tips to minimize damage!