Plenty of products get us hydrated throughout the day. All the bad effects of sodas, juices, and other sugary drinks diverted most people to flavored water which is the next best thing. The variety of flavors may give the plain water a bit of excitement and encourages water intake for people who like extra flavor. The taste and other properties that flavored water have made it popular and enticing. It’s hard to face facts but getting hooked on this product has ill effects on your dental health.
The flashy packaging and enticing flavors make flavored water irresistible. You can pick from watermelon, raspberry, strawberry, apple and other fruit choices. This is also a common problem for flavored water consumers to accept certain harmful effects on their teeth.
Flavor Essence
The flavor essences of flavored water contribute to tooth erosion. This indicates that your tooth’s enamel is gradually washed away by the acidic fruit essences that flavored water has. This is due to the fruit essences that are mostly fruit based that has a higher acidity than their real fruit counterpart. If you make contact with acidic foods and beverages, it could lead to the gradual thinning of your enamel. This results in tooth sensitivity to cold and hot temperatures and could make you prone to tooth decay and gum problems.
Carbonic Acid
Adding this to the flavored water can lower the ph level of the beverage to five. All is well up to that certain point because the ph level where a certain beverage erodes your tooth is 4. This makes sparkling water just fine. The problem is when you add the flavoring to water where it becomes acidic to erode the teeth. Two acidic combinations would definitely take a toll on your tooth’s enamel. Carbonic acid also takes away the calcium from your teeth. Consumption of these types of drinks does not mean that they are bad for you. The flavored water has the same erosive effect as an orange juice but that does not mean both are bad for you. They simply are detrimental or can attribute to tooth erosion.
It’s not all bad news for all the flavored water lovers out there. It is true that it is way better than sodas but there are certain reminders you have to follow. You can always use a straw to avoid contact with flavored water on your mouth. You also have to drink it all in one go to avoid the prolonged exposure of your teeth if you sip on it throughout the day. It would be best to make water your main way of hydrating yourself and not rely on the flavored water all the way. You can also dilute flavored water with regular water to lessen its acidity. Brushing right after drinking acidic food and drinks is a big no as it will worsen the tooth erosion.
When you give up with your sodas and drinking flavored water habit, you can avoid many harmful effects as per explained by dental centre. The only thing to remember is to drink them in moderation.