Somewhere along the way, sparkling water got lumped in with soda when it comes to dental health. Daily drinkers of LaCroix and Bubly started asking their dentists if their fizzy habit was rotting their teeth from the inside out.
The good news: plain sparkling water is not soda.
The nuanced news: some sparkling waters are indeed tougher on your teeth than others, and how you choose to drink it makes all the difference for your enamel.
Here is a clear look at what the dental research actually says about carbonation, acidity, and tooth health.
Acidity & pH: Where Sparkling Water Sits
Enamel erosion occurs when acids chemically dissolve the hard calcium structure of your teeth. The threshold at which enamel begins to demineralize is a pH of 4.0. Any drink that sits below a pH of 4.0 is considered active for erosion.
Here is where sparkling water sits compared to common beverages:
| Beverage | Average pH Level | Erosion Risk Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Cola (Soft Drinks) | 2.5 | Extremely High (phosphoric acid) |
| Sports Drinks | 2.9 to 3.3 | Extremely High (citric acid + sugar) |
| Orange Juice | 3.5 | High (natural fruit acids) |
| Flavored Seltzer (with citric acid) | 3.0 to 4.0 | Moderate to High (citric acid) |
| Plain Sparkling Water | 4.5 to 5.0 | Minimal (carbonic acid only) |
| Still Tap/Spring Water | 7.0 (neutral) | Zero Risk |
Plain sparkling water (carbonated purified water) sits safely above the critical 4.0 threshold. While dissolving carbon dioxide in water creates carbonic acid (lowering the pH to around 4.5 to 5), carbonic acid is a highly weak acid that does not readily dissolve enamel in normal environments.
What the Clinical Studies Show
In 2022, a milestone study published in JADA Foundational Science (the American Dental Association’s open-access research journal) tested seven popular sugar-free beverages by soaking recently extracted human teeth in each liquid for a continuous 24 hours. The researchers equated this to roughly one year of average beverage exposure.
The findings:
- Plain carbonated water caused virtually zero enamel erosion, matching still water’s baseline.
- Flavored sparkling waters caused minor erosion, though still significantly less than sodas (diet or regular).
- The study confirmed that carbonation itself is not the danger; the risk lies in the flavor additives.
Dr. Edmond Hewlett, a spokesperson for the ADA and professor at the UCLA School of Dentistry, sums it up: “The more acidic the drink, the greater the risk of tooth erosion with frequent consumption.” He notes that plain sparkling water’s acidity “is less in magnitude than what you might get with citrus juice or many sodas and sports drinks.”
Delta Dental’s official clinical guidance is similarly clear: “When researchers soaked teeth in sparkling water versus regular water, they observed no significant difference in enamel erosion.”
The Citric Acid Problem
If carbonation is not bad for your teeth, what is? The culprit is citric acid (listed on some labels as citric acid, organic acid, or lemon/lime concentrate).
Manufacturers add citric acid to fruit-flavored seltzers to give them a tart, juicy profile. Unlike weak carbonic acid, citric acid is a strong organic acid that lowers the pH of seltzer below the critical 4.0 threshold. It also chemically binds to (chelates) calcium in enamel, pulling minerals out of the tooth structure even in relatively high-pH environments.
Soda Sense reported that while plain sparkling water sits safely at pH 4.5 to 5, seltzers with added citric acid can push pH levels “significantly lower,” landing in the active erosion zone.
Safest vs. Riskiest Sparkling Waters
| Risk Level | Category | Example Brands |
|---|---|---|
| 🟢 Safest | Plain, unflavored carbonated water | San Pellegrino plain, Topo Chico original, LaCroix Pure, Polar plain |
| 🟡 Low Risk | Flavored seltzers without citric acid | Aura Bora, Hal's New York Seltzer, Waterloo core flavors, most Bubly |
| 🟠 Moderate Risk | Flavored seltzers with citric acid listed | Spindrift (some fruit flavors), citrus-flavored store brands |
| 🔴 Highest Risk | Fizzy water mixed with fresh citrus juice | Seltzer with a freshly squeezed lemon or lime wedge |
4 Rules to Protect Your Enamel
If you drink multiple cans of flavored seltzer daily, you can protect your enamel with four simple habits recommended by dental professionals:
- Drink with Meals: Saliva flow peaks while chewing, which naturally dilutes and neutralizes acids. Sipping seltzer all day keeps your teeth in a constant low-pH bath.
- Rinse with Still Water: After finishing a seltzer, swish a mouthful of tap or still mineral water to rinse away residual acids and help your mouth restore its neutral pH.
- Wait to Brush: Enamel is temporarily softened after exposure to acid. Brushing immediately can physically scrub away this weakened surface. Wait 30 minutes for saliva to remineralize the enamel.
- Use a Straw: If you are drinking highly acidic citrus-flavored waters, a straw directs the liquid past your teeth, minimizing direct contact with enamel.
🦷 Enamel Erosion Risk Calculator
Enter your daily seltzer habits to see your dental risk score and get customized tips!
References
- American Dental Association. “TikTok’s Alternative Soda Trend Could Be Tough on Teeth.” ada.org. June 2022.
- American Dental Association. “Dental Erosion.” ada.org.
- Delta Dental. “Is Sparkling Water Bad for Teeth?” deltadentalins.com.
- Soda Sense. “Is Drinking Sparkling Water Bad for Your Dental Enamel?” sodasense.com. 2025.
- Framingham Dental Group. “Is Sparkling Water Safe for Your Teeth?” (citing ADA Dr. Hewlett.) framinghamdentalgroup.com.
- Aura Bora. aurabora.com. Product claims and ingredient transparency.
- JADA Foundational Science. (2022). Sugar-free beverage soak study on human enamel. jadafs.ada.org.