The current sparkling and seltzer water market is bubbling! Coca-Cola recently unveiled that they will launch a new sparkling water line in March 2020 known as AHA. The line features eight flavors, two with a splash of caffeine. This means you can reenergize without the calories or sugar-free sweeteners.
With Americans steering away from sugary drinks like soda, the seltzer water market is booming. Coca-Cola is replacing their current sparkling Dasani water with AHA. Coca-Cola hopes to enhance their presence in the sparkling water industry.
Although this is good news if you’re a sparkling water fan, should you feel concerned about the effects of sparking water on your teeth?
Courtesy of The Coca-Cola Company
Effects of Sparkling Water on Teeth
As delicious as sparkling water tastes, it’s still made with the same main ingredient as soda: carbonated water. When you add carbon dioxide to water, sparkling water forms. When combined, carbon dioxide creates carbonic acid and therefore causes the pH to drop. When the pH drops, this means it becomes more acidic. Pure water is entirely neutral at a 7 pH on the pH scale. Erosion doesn’t begin to occur until the pH reaches 4 or below. A pH of 3 or 4 is erosive while a 2 or 3 is extremely erosive. Colas come in at around a 2.4 pH.
So how do sparkling waters rank on a pH scale? Most seltzer and sparkling waters have between a 3 or 4 pH. This means that when you drink sparkling or seltzer water, you can damage your enamel.
How to Enjoy Sparkling Water safely
Just because sparkling water has a 3 or 4 pH doesn’t mean you need to give it up entirely. At River Edge Dental, we encourage our patients to drink their sparkling waters smarter. When you drink sparkling water alone, more acid rests on your teeth. When you enjoy it with food, the food helps wash away the erosive acid from your teeth. If you do want to enjoy sparkling water, enjoy it with a bit of food. If you’re drinking it alone, avoid brushing your teeth for at least 30 minutes after drinking because the acid softens the surface of your teeth which makes your teeth more sensitive to abrasion.
You should also avoid drinking sparkling water if you experience dry mouth. Since saliva handles neutralizing the acid in your mouth, if you experience dry mouth, there’s no saliva to neutralize the acid from drinking sparkling water.
Overall, sipping on sparkling water instead of soda is much better for your teeth because it’s less acidic and doesn’t contain sugar but you should still heed caution. Drinking Coca-Cola’s AHA is much better for your teeth than drinking a classic Coke.
If you’re worried about the effects of sparkling water or acidic drinks on your teeth, don’t hesitate to give our dentists at River Edge Dental a call to schedule an appointment. You can reach us at (201) 343-4044 or by filling out our contact form.
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