MEDIUMClinicalTier 1

Sparkling water briefly raises mouth acidity but stays above enamel-damage threshold: study

SourceOral Health GroupTier 1Hard News

Originally at oralhealthgroup.com

Summary & scoring by The Bell Brief (Dr. Jennifer Bell) using the Drill-Down Protocol (Drill-Down Score) — not the original publisher.

Why it matters for dental

For clinicians counseling patients on erosion risk, the data show that plain sparkling water does not drop oral pH below the critical 4.5 enamel-dissolution threshold, allowing practices to reassure patients that moderate consumption is not a caries or erosion driver.

Key points

  • pH of tested sparkling waters ranged 3.0–4.0 immediately after opening, rising above 4.5 within minutes as CO₂ off-gasses.
  • No tested beverage reached sustained pH ≤4.0, the level associated with hydroxyapatite dissolution in enamel.
  • Study did not evaluate flavored or citric-acid-added sparkling waters, which may drop pH lower and remain under investigation.
  • Findings apply to non-orthodontic, non-hypersensitive patients; practices can still recommend straw use and water rinsing for high-consumption patients.

Who should care

AssociateSpecialistStaff

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