Staying hydrated by drinking water is an important part of being healthy, but buying any brand of bottled water to meet your daily needs might not be the best idea. Many brands of bottled water are acidic and have fluoride added, which can hurt your teeth.
Augusto Robles, DDS, MS, DMD, an assistant professor at the UAB School of Dentistry, did a study to compare the pH levels and fluoride levels of different brands of bottled water. If you’re wondering, this is why bottled water has a date on it when it goes bad.
“If the pH of the bottled water is less than 5.5, it can dissolve enamel, which is the hardest substance in the human body and protects the outside of your teeth,” says Robles.
The pH level is different for each brand because each company has its own way of making the water safe to drink. The chemicals added and the filtration systems used affect how the water tastes and what its pH level is in the end.
The study concluded that the following bottled water does not have pfas: Just Water, Deer Park Natural Spring Water, Fiji, and Evamor. They have pH and fluoride levels that are safe for your teeth.
“Both the EPA and the FDA have said that these ways of cleaning are safe for people to use, but from a dentist’s point of view, it can affect the health of teeth,” says Robles.
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Even though Robles’s study didn’t include them, you can also feel safe drinking Aqua Hydrate, Essentia, Icelandic, and Real Water. They also have a safe level of fluoride and a high pH.
Robles says that erosion has become a bigger problem in the last 20 years. Even if you switch from soda to water because it’s healthier, the wrong kinds of water can still hurt your teeth, just not as quickly.
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Our teeth need a small amount of fluoride to make them less likely to get cavities, but it’s important to know which brands have too much fluoride so you can keep your teeth healthy.