If you asked a random person this question, you’d have about a 50% chance of them agreeing that bottled water is indeed better than tap. Judging by the $50 to $100 billion that America spends on bottled water every year, a safe assumption would be that many people agree. Contrary to popular belief, however, mass agreement does not make something true. Your Dallas area dentist Dr. Truong gives you these facts that may make you think twice before shelling out your hard earned money for a few ounces of water.
Bottled Water vs. Tap Water
- Assuming that a 20 oz. bottle of water costs one dollar, the bottle would equal out to five cents an ounce. At approximately one cent per gallon, tap water proves undeniably more economical than bottled water.
- Aside from cost, one of the main advantages of tap water is fluoride. By 1960, water fluoridation was widely used throughout the United States and continues today. Studies have shown that small amounts of fluoride (the common ratio of fluoride to water is 1:1,000,000) can help promote healthy teeth and prevent the formation of dental caries (cavities). Fluoride is a major mineral in the formation of your tooth’s enamel, and fluoride treatment can strengthen enamel by replenishing it with this mineral. By contrast, bottled water has little to no fluoride and even less benefit to your oral health.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has attributed the increase in bottled water consumption with the commensurate increase in instances of tooth decay
- While municipal water falls under the jurisdiction of the Environmental Protection Agency, it is subject to intense scrutiny and regularly inspected. Bottled water, on the other hand, falls under the jurisdiction of the FDA. Since most bottled water is bottled and sold near its distribution center, it rarely crosses state lines. As such, bottled water is exempt from FDA regulations.
The next time you crave bottled water, try bottling some tap water from your sink and cooling it in the refrigerator. You get all the benefits of bottled water (cold and portable) with all the benefits of tap water (healthy and inexpensive). To learn more about protecting your oral health, call Viva Dental in Dallas today at (214) 337-7800. If you live in Richardson, subscribe to this blog to learn when our Richardson office opens!
