Americans have embraced the idea of drinking bottled water instead of tap water, thinking that it the better tasting and healthier choice. However, most bottled water is missing an ingredient that promotes oral health. For over sixty years in the United States, fluoride has been added to the water supply in order for people to consume this mineral that is proven to be helpful for your teeth. Now that bottled water is the trend, are you getting enough fluoride to maintain healthy teeth?
Fluoride benefits your teeth by strengthening tooth enamel and remineralizing teeth already damaged by acid. Since communities began adding fluoride to their water supply, there has been a significant decrease in cavities. Experts suggest that water fluoridation is the most beneficial public health measure for preventing tooth decay.
Unfortunately, most bottled waters do not contain fluoride. Some bottling companies do add fluoride, which is required by the FDA to be listed on the bottle’s label, but often the fluoride level is not as much as tap water. You would have to drink much more bottled water than tap water to get the same amount of fluoride benefits. If you are unsure about the amount of fluoride added to your bottled water, contact the manufacturer for details.
If you choose to stick with bottled water, you may need to obtain fluoride from other sources to keep your teeth healthy. Ask your dentist for recommendations, but common remedies include prescription fluoride drops, fluoridated mouth rinses, and toothpaste with high fluoride content. Your dentist can also monitor your teeth to make sure you’re not ingesting too much fluoride, which can cause a condition called fluorosis.
Drinking water from the tap is an ideal way to introduce fluoride into your diet, but if you just can’t give up bottled water as your main drinking source, make sure you get fluoride in some way. It’s likely that the health of your teeth will greatly benefit from it.
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