Bottle Vs Tap Water: Which One is Better for Your Teeth?

While clean teeth are certainly important to prevent cavities and keep those pearly whites in the optimum state of good health, any dentist will tell you there's another important factor. Water is an imperative source of fluid to prevent dehydration. In most communities, the choice is between bottle water or tap water. It makes a difference because of the mineral fluoride. At Great Lakes Dental, we want to ensure your oral health, so here's the story on bottle vs. tap water.

Minerals Matter

Although food is an excellent source of many minerals, so is water, which contains the minerals leached from the ground during rainfall. One of the most important is fluoride, which is known to help prevent tooth decay. Scientists discovered this important quality when they noticed people who lived in areas where the soil was naturally high in fluoride had less tooth decay.

Bottle Water

Water from a bottle is unquestionably better than sodas or other sugary drinks from the standpoint of oral health. However, during processing bottled water is often subject to reverse osmosis or distillation. Intended to take out substances that can affect the flavor of the water, both of these processes also remove any fluoride that is naturally present in the water. Fluoride content in bottled water varies; read the label. Research is also being shown that some bottled water has an acidic Ph level.

Tap Water

Although tap water is treated before use in most communities, it often contains fluoride or has small amounts of fluoride added during the treatment process. Home filters, however, may or may not remove fluoride, especially if the filtration process uses reverse osmosis or distillation. The filter instruction manual or manufacturer may offer information about fluoride removal.

Bottom Line

When it comes to oral health, the source of an individual's drinking water is less of an issue than the fluoride content of the water. Water that contains 0.7 to 1.2 ppm of fluoride (the equivalent of 1 milligram of fluoride to one liter of water) is the level necessary to help prevent tooth decay. Manufacturers of bottle water often provide fluoride information on the label or may have the information available. A phone call can answer the question.

At Great Lakes Dental, we offer advanced dental technology in a friendly caring atmosphere. We can answer oral health questions on any subject and are happy to do so. Please contact us today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Ronald Beech or colleagues Dr. Leah Divito and Dr. Amanda Brewer.