Does carbonated mineral water cause cavities?
Sugar is actually not the only thing in bottled drinks that might lead to cavities and tooth decay. Something to watch out for would be phosphorus—this can be found in many colas, for instance, even the diet versions. it’s my understanding that phosphorus consumption in the excessive amounts found in soda leaches calcium out of one’s teeth, leaving them more vulnerable to subsequent decay. Similarly, flavored bottled water (such as the flavored variant of Dasani and the many cheap, calorie-free carbonated flavored waters out there) often includes citric acid or other acids to add “tartness”—if one doesn’t brush teeth after consuming these drinks (if drank just before sleep, for instance), the acid may begin to erode tooth enamel. I don’t know that these kinds of compounds would be found in normal bottled water, though—but you should be aware that many drinks that are “calorie-free,” flavorless or only lightly flavored can lead to cavities. You are right to worry about this—you only get
I was told by a dietician with a doctorate that carbonation in any form, even sparkling waters *can* be bad for both teeth and digestive tract because depending on mitigating factors, it can break down into carbonic acid (essentially ‘acid rain’)… depending on the neutrality / pH of the surrounding ‘ingredients’. Meaning it depends… on the surrounding acidity / basic nature of whatever else is in the mineral water / calorie-free soda you’re drinking, and/or even your own personal body chemistry. I dunno if there are studies behind this. What I do know is I quit drinking anything carbonated (beyond perhaps a beer every 2 or 3 weeks) quite a few years back, and it calmed my somewhat acidic stomach issues. I have never had a cavity, but personally I think that’s just good genetics; my dad still hasn’t had to have any fillings done and he’s 66.
The equilibrium of carbonic acid and CO2 dissolved in water heavily favors CO2. The acidity of the solution probably isn’t high enough to do any real damage to your teeth. There might be some enyzmatic action or other biological process that causes decay in the presence of soda water, but other than that, your teeth should be fine.
I used to believe that the carbonation (carbonic acid) in soft drinks contributed to tooth decay, based on what I was told was the primary mechanism for cave formation. (Limestone and teeth are both largely calcium.) Used to be, geologists thought that caves were formed primarily by CO2-bearing ground water. In the last few years, a new theory has gained a lot of weight. It says that most caves are formed by much stronger acids (like sulfuric) percolating up from deep underground. Now I’m less sure about fizz eating teeth. Also note that both Mythbusters and Snopes have addressed the tooth-dissolving-in-a-bottle-of-Coke “experiment” and dismissed it as fable. Both also assumed that phosphoric acid would be the active agent, and completely ignored the carbonation. In the Mythbusters episode, they left the Coke bottle uncapped after dropping the tooth in, which allowed the CO2 to completely escape as the drink went flat. To me, that
