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

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!

The post Are All Carbonated Drinks Harmful to Your Teeth? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

At first glance, sports drinks might seem like a good replacement for soda, but this is one alternative you should skip. Sports drinks frequently feature high fructose corn syrup, dyes, and salt as their ingredients. The sugar content in these “healthy” drinks is virtually no different than that of conventional sodas—a can of Coca-Cola has 39 grams of sugar, while Gatorade has 34 grams. Not looking so healthy, now are they?

Grab: Seltzer Water

Seltzer water is just carbonated water, so if you love those bubbly drinks, reach for this instead of soda. Some seltzer waters come flavored with fruit juices, like lemon, lime, or even pomegranate and tangerine. Although there is some fruit flavoring in these, the content is much healthier than soda—zero grams of sugar. Seltzer water is a healthy alternative to soda, so grab!

Avoid: Juices

Juices tend to be marketed as healthier than soda, but the truth is that they compete in the sugar world just like sports drinks! Fruits are healthy, fruit juice is not—with none of the fiber to help your body digest it, the sugar in these drinks ends up spiking your blood sugar. Avoid these as much as you can, or mix with seltzer water to cut down on consumption.

Grab: Kombucha

Kombucha is a type of fermented tea that’s loaded with healthy enzymes, probiotics, and comes in great flavors with just a little fruit puree added. With supermarkets carrying many different types of kombucha these days, you should grab this healthy beverage. It’s carbonated just like soda, and your kids likely won’t miss the sugar. Give it a try!

Avoid: Energy Drinks

Energy drinks have loads of sugar and caffeine. Not only are these drinks unhealthy, they can be dangerous as they speed up heart rate. These drinks tend to be popular with teens, but you’ll want to pass these by at the store. They’re not worth the “energy” they deliver, and the sugar and acidity of these drinks is terrible for your teeth.

Grab: Tea

You’ll need to read the labels when grabbing bottled tea at your supermarket, as many of them sneak sugar in there. Buy some unsweetened tea and let your kids flavor with lemon or raspberries at home. Or, introduce your family to flavored hot teas, which can be beneficial and healthful for your body and mind. Strawberry green tea, for instance, tastes fantastic and is shown to increase concentration and memory. Who wouldn’t want that in the afternoon?

These days, you have many options when it comes to choosing alternatives for soda. Forgo the sports drinks, energy drinks, and juice in favor of seltzer water, kombucha, and tea. These positive changes can ensure healthy teeth for you and your family, not to mention healthy bodies!

The post Soda Replacements: Which to Grab and Which to Avoid appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Damages Enamel

Sodas are extremely high in sugar, and don’t let the label fool you—high fructose corn syrup is just another form of it! In fact, this sugar is even more damaging to the body than regular sugar, as its sweetness is so concentrated that it throws off the way your body produces insulin. This sugar turns acidic in your mouth and can wear down tooth enamel over time. And yes, even diet sodas that don’t contain any sugar at all are just as damaging—the artificial sweeteners are acids in themselves. Kids are particularly at risk because their enamel is not yet fully formed.

Causes Cavities

The enamel plays a big role in the protection of your teeth, so when it begins to erode away, problems can arise, and cavities are more likely to happen. Once the enamel is damaged, it’s much easier for the sugar in soda to damage your teeth, and there’s plenty of that sugar to go around even in just one soda drink. This means that bacteria are given more of a free passage into your teeth, and not only can this free passage cause cavities, but it could also lead to tooth decay and gum inflammation. Your teeth may eventually, as your dentist and parents may have warned you, have to come out.

Tooth Sensitivity

Another negative side effect of enamel getting worn off is that tooth sensitivity will increase. Your enamel protects the soft tissues of your tooth such as the nerves, but when the enamel is damaged, you’ll be more sensitive to hot and cold. The less enamel you have, the more sensitive you’re likely to be. Tooth sensitivity can hinder you from eating ice-cold drinks, ice cream, hot tea, or hot meals, and can be extremely painful. In addition to tooth sensitivity, your teeth are also more likely to be stained from your lack of enamel, appearing yellow, discolored, or translucent.

Increased Plaque

Brushing and flossing can help you manage your plaque, which, if built up over time, can cause tooth decay. But what happens when you’re drinking soda every day and not rinsing or brushing afterwards?

The acids (specifically phosphoric acid) and sugars in soda can cause damage within minutes of drinking it, not to mention all that sugar just sits on your teeth and increases your plaque. If you’re not brushing properly or brushing too hard, chances are that plaque is accumulating in places on your teeth and will eventually cause cavities, tooth decay, gingivitis, or periodontal disease.

Soda may taste good, but when you consider its harmful effects on your smile (not to mention your body), you may consider picking up another drink next time you’re thirsty. Seltzer water mixed with fruit juice, herbal sodas, or kombucha are all great healthy alternatives!

The post Put Down the Soda! (Your Teeth Depend on It) appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.