Bottled water is bad for teeth
2000-10-23 07:19
Auckland - A health fad for filtered and bottled water is bad for teeth because it does not contain fluoride, dental experts here say.
The New Zealand Herald reported on Monday that the constant sipping of sports drinks too is destroying teeth.
Bottled water has 0.1 part of fluoride per million compared to 0.7 in tapwater here.
Public health dentist Bob McKegg told the newspaper, dentists were seeing an increase in the number of children with tooth decay from
homes with water filters.
"Many people, especially those in upper socio-economic areas, are using microfilters and turning up with buckets of dental disease."
Auckland Healthcare paediatric dentist Callum Durward said sipper bottles with highly acidic fruit or sports drinks were also
harmful.
They severely eroded tooth enamel.
Every time they were drunk teeth were exposed to an acid attack.
"Its the constant sipping that causes the damage. Teeth can handle four to five acid exposures a day, but they cant cope with 15 or
more." - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA