Should I Drink Bottled or Tap Water?

It is pretty hard to go out shopping or to a restaurant and not have the opportunity to purchase a bottle of water. With water bottle sales increasing drastically over the last few years, it is estimated that 15.3 billion gallons of bottled water were bought in 2021 (which was greatly impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic).

As dental professionals, we encourage all of our patients to increase their water intake to not only promote oral health but overall wellness. Water has countless amounts of benefits for the human body. Here are just a few:

• Maintain the balance of fluids in your body
• Help your kidneys filter your blood
• Energize your muscles by delivering electrolytes
• Regulate body temperature
• Cushion the brain, spinal cord, and other sensitive tissues.

The question is, should you drink bottled water or is tap water better? Here are a few things to consider.

Tap Water Provides the Best Source of Fluoride

During the day we are constantly losing and taking in minerals. Phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, and fluoride are all known to be healthy minerals that keep your teeth strong and protect them from decay.

When it comes to keeping your teeth strong and healthy, fluoride is the most important mineral. Dental professionals recommend taking fluoride through both external and internal means. This is most commonly found in:

• Tap water
• Rinse
• Toothpaste
• Supplements

Most towns add fluoride to the local tap water. This allows the population to get their dietary fluoride needs from their tap water.

Many bottled water companies remove minerals and substances including fluoride from their water. The purpose of removing these minerals is to prevent the minerals from affecting the taste. Tap water isn’t just the best choice for your oral health, there are multiple reasons why you should say goodbye to bottled water.

4 Reasons to Stop Drinking Bottled Water

1. Bottled water has a terrible value. According to Food & Water Watch, tap water costs $0.005 per gallon while a bottle of water can cost upwards of $9.47. This is almost 2,000 times the price of tap water.
2. Bottled water is not environmentally friendly. Plastic bottles can take years to decompose in a landfill. If they are not brought to a landfill, they are incinerated and release toxic gases into the atmosphere.
3. Lots of bottled water brands are selling you tap water. The quality of bottled water will vary depending on the brand of water you buy. According to Natural Living, more chemicals and other unwanted compounds may go inside bottled water. Bottled water samples can contain phthalates, mold, microbes, benzene, trihalomethanes, and arsenic.
4. Bottled water is inconvenient. Tap water is everywhere, restaurants, public drinking fountains, and spigots. For bottled water you have to go to a store to buy it.

If you aren’t sure how tap water is treated in your area, take a look at your local water fluoride report from the CDC.