Can Drinking Seltzer Water Harm Your Tooth Enamel?

September 16, 2026

A mature woman shopping for carbonated water in a supermarket

Compared with soda, seltzer water is generally considered a healthier option. But like soda, seltzer gets its fizziness from carbonation, which means that even plain seltzer contains acid that could affect tooth enamel. So, is it a better choice for your teeth, too?

“Plain water is best, but seltzer is definitely better than soda,” says Andres Pinto, DMD, MPH, a University Hospitals oral medicine specialist. “By a magnitude of 90 to 100 times better.” With seltzer, the risks to your teeth increase, depending on the ingredients used, how much you drink and whether you have certain health conditions, he says.

Carbonated Water and Dental Health

Carbonated water contains carbonic acid, which makes it mildly acidic. A normal pH level in the mouth ranges from about 6 to 7, says Dr. Pinto. “At that pH level, your saliva helps maintain a balance between good and bad bacteria, reducing the risk for cavities,” he says. Carbonation makes the pH level of water go down a little. The lower the pH, the more acidic and potentially corrosive the acid will be. “Seltzers have a pH that’s usually around 4 or 4.5,” he says. “Anything below 6 is acidic.”

Similar to your bones, tooth enamel contains a high level of calcium. When your tooth enamel is exposed to acidic drinks, the crystals in the enamel start breaking down. “That's what we call erosion, and it's not very different from how bacteria cause cavities,” says Dr. Pinto. “They basically feed on sugar, producing acid, which causes cavities.”

Added Ingredients That Can Affect Your Teeth

Carbonation isn’t the biggest concern with seltzers. Some added ingredients, such as those used to enhance flavor, can actually be harder on your teeth. Ingredients to look out for include:

Citric Acid and Citrus
Adding lemon, lime or other citrus to seltzer makes it more acidic than plain seltzer, even if you squeeze fresh fruit into the seltzer yourself. If your seltzer contains citric acid as well as natural citrus, it can put your teeth at greater risk.
Natural and Added Sugars
Sweeteners, like cane sugar, honey, corn syrup, fruit juice or juice from concentrate, may enhance the flavor of your seltzer, but they can also cause bacteria to produce more acid, making the drink more damaging to your teeth.
Alcohol
The alcohol in hard seltzers is another ingredient that can harm your teeth, as well as put your oral health at risk. Hard seltzers also typically contain juice, sweeteners and citric acid to help balance the flavor, which puts your teeth at greater risk. “These types of hard seltzers are not really healthy for tooth enamel,” says Dr. Pinto.

Other Factors That Can Increase Dental Risks

It’s not just what’s in the can or bottle that can raise your risk of dental problems, but how often you sip seltzer and how much saliva your mouth produces.

Longer Exposure: The pH levels of sodas and seltzers are quite low, so repeated exposure can be a real problem. “That length of exposure is key,” says Dr. Pinto. For example, if you drink three cans of seltzer a day but drink them relatively quickly, your teeth won’t be exposed to the seltzer for very long. “But if a bottle of seltzer lasts you the whole morning, and you're sipping it frequently, that's more exposure to acid,” he says. “Ideally, you want to limit the amount of time that the seltzer is on your teeth.” Drinking less seltzer is better, but washing some of the acid away or neutralizing it by drinking regular water afterward will help protect your teeth.

Poor Salivary Flow: Saliva can help restore the balance in your mouth after you drink seltzer. “But it's highly dependent on healthy salivary flow, which some people don’t have,” says Dr. Pinto. For example, older adults tend to produce less saliva. People who use alcohol, tobacco or cannabis products are more likely to experience dry mouth. Certain health conditions can also interfere with saliva production. If you have diabetes, Alzheimer’s, an autoimmune disease like Sjögren’s syndrome, a gastrointestinal disease or a salivary gland disorder it may decrease or block the flow of your saliva.

Salivary flow can also be affected by certain medications and treatments, including:

Antidepressants, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers
Antihistamines and decongestants
Bladder-control medications
Chemotherapy
GLP-1 drugs
Heart and blood pressure medications
Immunotherapy
Muscle relaxers
Nausea medications
Pain medications
Parkinson’s disease medications
Radiation treatment

“Without enough saliva, the effects of acid on your tooth enamel get worse,” says Dr. Pinto. That doesn’t mean you can never enjoy seltzer, but you may want to be careful about how much seltzer you drink and be vigilant about rinsing your mouth with water afterward.

Is Naturally Sparkling Mineral Water Better for Your Teeth?

Both naturally sparkling mineral water like San Pellegrino, and seltzer are better for your teeth than soda, says Dr. Pinto. But studies suggest there isn’t much of a dental benefit to choosing mineral water over seltzer. “There’s only a very small difference in the pH,” he says.

How Do You Know If Your Enamel Is Eroding?

If erosion is occurring, you may notice an increased sensitivity to temperature. “Usually cold drinks and food are a little more uncomfortable than hot ones,” says Dr. Pinto. You may also notice that certain spices bother your teeth that didn’t before.

Going to regular dental appointments can help, too. Your dentist may find signs of erosion before you feel any symptoms. “Dentists can detect enamel erosion during an exam,” says Dr. Pinto. “There are very specific patterns of the enamel and how it wears off.”

How to Protect Your Teeth When You Love Fizzy Water

The best way to keep your teeth healthy, whether you drink seltzer or not, is to practice good oral hygiene, says Dr. Pinto. “That will help negate the potential bad effects of acidic beverages,” he says. “Even if you drink soda, you should be okay if you brush your teeth within 20 minutes.”

Dr. Pinto also recommends paying attention to how often you sip seltzer. To limit the amount of time your teeth are exposed, rinse your mouth with water or brush your teeth afterward. Regular brushing also helps protect against plaque, he says.

“Drinking plain water is the best, but it's also kind of boring,” says Dr. Pinto. “Fortunately, saliva is usually pretty good at restoring the pH balance in the mouth, so seltzer isn’t a big dental concern for most healthy individuals.”

If you drink a lot of seltzer and you’re concerned about your tooth enamel or cavities, your dentist can help you understand whether your seltzer habit is affecting your teeth and recommend ways to protect your oral health.