Written by Sarah Snik RDH

if you have been to our office even once, you’ve heard Dr. Wyke, Pam or I talk about what your child drinks. This is because so many beverages have sugar and acid which can cause decay and a whole host of other health problems. We always recommend water above all else when it comes to choosing what to drink. But what about sparkling water?  As society we are drinking less soda, which is a really good thing, but we are many times replacing our coke with sparkling water. Many parents wonder if this is safe for their child’s teeth.

First Let’s talk about what sparkling water is. Water and Carbon Dioxide which magically turn water from boring to bubbly. (To be clear, we are not talking about 0 calorie artificially sweetened flavored water) Water is good, we all know that. CO2 gets exhaled from our lungs all day long, so no issue right? Well, it ins’t quite that simple. When we drink sparkling water, there is a chemical reaction in our mouths which turns carbon dioxide into carbonic acid. This acid makes the water refreshing and slightly tangy,but it makes our bubbly slightly acidic.

So how acidic is it? Well, not very. It is far less acidic than soda or orange juice, but more acidic than plain tap water. So bottom line, have a sparkling water in place of your coke for sure, but don’t replace plain water with sparkling water. If you will be enjoying some bubbles in your H2O, avoid sipping on it all day and drink it with a meal instead. Keep in mind that adding a lemon or lime ( or any other flavoring) will increase the amount of acid and the potential damage to your teeth. Cheers!