Consumers are missing out on the fluoride found in tap water, which helps to protect teeth from cavities when they consume bottled water, according to a study published in a recent edition of General Dentistry (January/February 2009, Vol. 57:1, pp. 29-33).
The authors tested the fluoride content in more than 100 different samples of bottled water, which fell into six categories: distilled, drinking/purified, spring/artesian, mineral, fluoride-added, and flavor-added.
Of the 105 samples, the fluoride concentrations in the majority fell below the U.S. government's recommended range of 0.7-1.2 parts per million (ppm), the ideal range to prevent cavities, the researchers noted. Only five samples met the recommended range.
"Determining if they [patients] are drinking appropriately fluoridated water, especially when they have or are at risk for cavities, is crucial information, because fluoridated water is an automatic way for them to help improve their oral health," said lead author Ryan Quock, D.D.S., in a press release.
"With soda and energy drinks being as popular as they are, not to mention the attractiveness of sugary snacks, children's mouths are constantly fighting cavity-causing bacteria," said Patricia Meredith, D.D.S., an Academy of General Dentistry spokesperson, in the release. "Something as simple as drinking water from the tap is a no-nonsense and cost-effective way to prevent cavities."
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