Water Can Damage Your Teeth

I think we all have the general understanding that acid is bad for your teeth. Bathing your mouth with lemon juice, soda or candy can cause erosion of your teeth. As erosion progresses, your teeth become more sensitive, discolored and at higher risk of getting cavities. We know this. Most of us are told to neutralize our mouths after eating by drinking water. Well, what if the water you're drinking is damaging your teeth?

Let's start with critical pH. For enamel (outer layer of the tooth) and dentin (inner layer of the tooth), the critical pH is 5.2 and 6.9, respectively. This means that any pH below these numbers will promote erosion of these surfaces. With that in mind, take a look at the pH of leading bottled water. (The ones in red text are harmful to dentin and/or enamel; the blue text are not.)

• Propel Fitness Water: 3.37
• Aquafina: 5.96
• Crystal Geiser: 6.1
• Fiji: 6.65
• Arrowhead: 6.83
• Smart Water: 6.97
• Dasani: 7.3
• Evian: 7.53
• VOSS: 7.56
• Tap Water: 7.8

As you can see, a majority of these bottled waters should not cause harm to your enamel. However, if you have dentin exposed from recession/grinding/clenching or weakened enamel from previous acid exposures, the more acidic waters may be causing erosion on your teeth.

So how do you combat the acid? Consider eating some cheese after a large acidic drink or meal. Limit the amount of time that any acidic drink or food is exposed to your teeth. Do not brush your teeth after a large acidic exposure since the enamel is most weak at this stage and can be potentially "brushed away". Finally, rinse with a fluoridated mouth rinse to help remineralize weakened areas of your teeth.

Cheers,
Dr. Lynda Tran