Is Sparkling Water Bad For Your Teeth?

If you asked your dentist for their thoughts on soda, they'd recommend avoiding it. Why? Two big reasons:

• Sugar. Soda has an abundance of it, leading to tooth decay and cavities

• Acid. Most sodas are highly acidic, contributing to tooth erosion

So now you know what not to drink. Some healthier alternatives to drink include water, milk, and you guessed it — unsweetened sparkling water.

That fizzy refreshment in your sparkling water is caused by carbonation. And it's the carbonation that has some concerned. So, is carbonated water bad for your teeth? A Journal of the American Dental Association study found that many popular sports drinks were "extremely erosive," while most sparkling carbonated waters ranked as "minimally erosive." Does minimally erosive equate to "bad"?

Sparkling water is much less erosive than other beverages. Which means may not be bad for you. "For an average, healthy person, carbonated, sugar-free beverages are not going to be a main cavity-causing factor," according to the U.S. News & World Report article. However, it's not necessarily good for you either. Replacing soda with sparkling water is a great idea, but don't replace water that may contain fluoride with its sparkling counterpart.

According to the National Institute of Health, beverages with a low pH tend to be more acidic which can erode tooth enamel if consumed often and in large volumes. Regular water has a pH of 7, which is neutral, and coffee is 5– if you don’t add sugar. Lemon juice is very acidic, measuring only slightly above stomach acid with a pH level of 2. Any beverage with a pH level lower than 4 can wear away enamel and damage your teeth over time. Plain sparkling water has a pH of around 5 or higher, so it won’t damage teeth. When flavor is added, it becomes more acidic. Lemon flavored sparkling water for instance has a pH level of 3 which means it could erode your enamel and damage your teeth.