How Drinks Affect Mouth Acidity
A team from Purdue University reported at the NUTRITION 2026 conference that unsweetened sparkling water is kinder to teeth than its sugary counterpart. The study involved 20 adults, each of whom drank four beverages one after another: sugary soda, regular unsweetened sparkling water, sparkling water with added calcium, and plain still water.
Among the four, sugary soda raised oral acidity the most. At both two minutes and twenty minutes after consumption, the pH of participants' mouths remained lower than it did after they drank plain water. Unsweetened sparkling water also briefly lowered salivary pH, but only at the two-minute mark. The calcium-enriched carbonated water caused a noticeable pH dip around five minutes, yet by twenty minutes acidity had nearly returned to baseline.
Tooth enamel begins to erode when oral pH falls below 5.5, but in this experiment saliva kept pH above that threshold.
"Switching from sugary soda to unsweetened sparkling water may reduce the risk of enamel damage."Vadiha Zulfikar
The team plans to investigate how regular consumption of unsweetened sparkling water affects oral health over the long term. These results could help people choose beverages that support healthy teeth and gums.
The study highlights the role of informed beverage choices in lowering dental risks. Since sugary carbonated drinks are widely consumed, these findings may inform recommendations to cut back on them. Further research should clarify the long-term oral effects of different drink types, which could benefit dentistry and public health.