• Posted on: Apr 8 2015

One of the largest markets is for bottled water. With the world’s water supply questionable about its quality, more and more people are opting for bottled water to drink. There is no caffeine, no sugar and no calories. They’re convenient and easy to take with you no matter if you’re on your way to work or on a family outing. People who are health-conscious find bottled water to be safer and less worrisome to drink solving their qualms about drinking tap water.

Water is Big Industry

Bottled water is one of the nation’s most popular beverages and is sold everywhere in many different sizes to satisfy anyone’s needs. In 2001 alone, Americans drank over 5 billion gallons of bottled water and that number has been climbing exponentially ever since. What was consumed in 2001 is equivalent to the water falling from the American Falls at Niagara Falls in two hours. That’s a tremendous amount of water people are drinking from bottled water containers.

Not All Water is Equal

Our bodies depend on water and can’t go long without it as it keeps organs and body systems functioning properly. When the correct amount of fluoride is added to water, which is a naturally occurring mineral, it will help prevent tooth decay as well as building strong teeth. There are some areas that don’t have enough naturally produced fluoride, a number of communities add the fluoride to their water supply so residents get the correct amount to receive the benefits of fluoride. If all you drink is bottled water, you will miss the decay preventive benefits of fluoride for the health of your teeth. Some bottled waters do contain some fluoride, the amount varies greatly but most bottled water contains little, if any at all. Bottled water is processed undergoing reverse osmosis or distilled and those treatments remove any fluoride from the water drunk. Using bottled water can limit the amount of fluoride not giving you the best of oral health to help protect your teeth from a number of possible health issues.

Main Sources of Water

If bottled water is the main source of water consumed it’s very likely you’re not receiving enough of the beneficial fluoride and this is especially important for children as their teeth are ever evolving in their growth. Fluoride is a mineral occurring naturally in water and many different foods as well as toothpaste, gels and mouth rinses. With a healthy diet, good oral hygiene and the use of fluoride, this makes the fluoride the most effective. If you are unsure how much fluoride is in your bottled water, if any, check out the label and see what the fluoride content is. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not require bottled water companies to show their fluoride content on their labels so it is wise to call the manufacturer to get their specific amounts contained in their water.

Fluoride Measurements

The amount of fluoride is the same when reported in parts per million (PPM) or milligrams per liter. The optimal amount to help prevent tooth decay should be 0.7 to 1.2 PPM of fluoride. One part per million is equal to 1 milligram per liter.

Tagged with: Dental Health, Flouride, Good Dental Habits

Posted in: Featured Posts