Trendy "healthy" drinks such as kombucha, prebiotic soda and flavored seltzer could be secretly damaging your teeth, according to dental experts.
While beverages like lemon water and apple cider vinegar tonics are often marketed as wellness products, their high acidity can soften and wear away protective tooth enamel. This erosion can lead to cavities, decay, discolouration and harmful infections.
Dr Edmond Hewlett, a consumer advisor spokesperson for the American Dental Association and professor emeritus at the UCLA School of Dentistry in Los Angeles, warned that a "gut-friendly" or "sugar-free" label does not mean a drink is safe for dental health.
"One of the biggest misconceptions patients have about 'healthy' drinks is that these beverages are automatically better for your teeth because they are 'healthy' or 'sugar-free,'" Hewlett told Daily Mail.
"Some of them, however, are also acidic, and tooth erosion happens when foods and beverages that are high in acid dissolve away at the enamel that protects our teeth."
The danger of acid
Acidic drinks can push the mouth into a danger zone where the tooth's surface begins to dissolve.
The critical pH level for enamel is 5.5. At this point, saliva is no longer saturated with calcium and phosphate, allowing erosion to begin.
While a single beverage will not destroy a smile, regular consumption can cause lasting damage. Once enamel is lost, it does not grow back, leaving teeth permanently more vulnerable to decay.
"A temporary dip in pH does not necessarily translate immediately to permanent enamel loss since pH is just one of several factors involved in enamel erosion," Hewlett explained.
"The amount of time in which the beverage is in your mouth and total acidity of what you're consuming are also key factors."
The problem with constant sipping
The way people consume wellness drinks plays a significant role in the damage they cause. Nursing a bottle of flavoured sparkling water over several hours ensures teeth are continually hit with acid.
"Habits such as sipping these high-acidity beverages throughout the day continuously expose teeth to acid and overwhelm the saliva's buffering capacity," Hewlett said.
"Salivary pH does not return to its safe resting level until the sipping stops."
Constant sipping prevents saliva from neutralising the acids and giving the teeth a chance to recover.
Patients may not realise their daily beverage habit is wearing down their teeth until the damage is already severe.
"A dentist can detect the subtle early-stage clinical signs of erosion, however, a patient may not notice the damage until it becomes moderate to severe," Hewlett warned.
Signs of enamel erosion include sensitivity to hot, cold or sweet drinks. Patients might also notice a yellowish tint as the enamel thins, or tiny dents known as "cupping" on their back teeth. In some cases, fillings may begin to stand out as the surrounding tooth wears away.
How to protect your teeth
Consumers do not need to give up kombucha or sparkling water entirely, but they should change how they drink them.
Hewlett recommended several methods backed by the American Dental Association to lower the risk. These include using a straw, finishing the drink in one sitting rather than nursing it, and rinsing with water afterwards.
"Rinsing with or drinking water after consuming beverages to help dilute and wash away the acidic beverage residue in your mouth," Hewlett said.
Pairing acidic drinks with calcium-rich foods such as milk, plain yogurt or cheese can also help protect teeth.
Crucially, consumers should avoid brushing their teeth immediately after finishing an acidic drink.
"Waiting an hour before brushing your teeth after consuming acidic foods or beverages to give your saliva time to naturally wash away acids and re-harden your enamel," he advised.
Acids versus sugars
Acids and sugars cause different types of damage to the mouth.
"Acids in acidic beverages cause erosion of the enamel on the outer surfaces of teeth," Hewlett said.
"Cavity-causing bacteria in the plaque film on our teeth thrive on sugar for energy and produce acids that create cavities in the enamel."
A 2022 study published in The Journal of the American Dental Association, titled The Erosive Potential of Sugar-Free Waters on Cervical Dentin, highlighted the risks of acidic beverages.
The research found that even "healthy" waters can be problematic when they are acidic. The data showed that flavoured and carbonated drinks caused more erosion than non-carbonated or unflavoured options.
Because teeth do not distinguish between acid from a wellness seltzer and acid from a traditional soda, dentists advise checking for signs of sensitivity and seeking professional advice if enamel erosion is a concern.
