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By Lucy Notarantonio
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Dentists have long warned that acidic drinks can wear down enamel over time. Yet not all beverages affect the mouth in the same way, and researchers wanted to find out whether some popular choices might be less damaging than others.
A new study put several common drinks head-to-head, tracking what happened inside people's mouths moments after taking a sip. What the researchers found could offer reassurance for those who still enjoy a little sparkle in their glass.
Researchers from Purdue University found that unsweetened sparkling water may be a lower-risk choice for tooth enamel than sugary soda. While sparkling water temporarily increased acidity in the mouth, the effect was smaller and shorter-lived than the changes seen after drinking soda, according to findings presented at NUTRITION 2026.
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"This is a reassuring finding, but it’s still only one piece of the puzzle," Dr. Rhona Eskander, a dentist who was not involved in the study, told Newsweek.
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Sparkling Water vs. Soda
Researchers from Purdue University set out to compare how different drinks affect acidity levels inside the mouth, which can play a role in tooth erosion over time.
The study included 20 adults who drank four beverages on separate occasions: sugar-sweetened soda, regular unsweetened sparkling water, calcium-fortified sparkling water and plain water.
Rather than focusing only on how acidic the drinks were, researchers measured participants' saliva after drinking them. This allowed the team to see how the mouth responded in real time.
"Many people are switching from soda to sparkling water, and our findings suggest that unsweetened sparkling water may be a lower-risk alternative to soda, when consumed in moderation and alongside good oral hygiene practices," Wajiha Zulfiqar, a graduate student in Nutrition Science at Purdue University, said in a statement.
Eskander, who lives in England, explained that tooth erosion doesn't happen overnight and certainly not from one drink. It occurs through frequent exposure over months and years.
She told Newsweek: "While plain sparkling water is clearly the lower-risk choice next to soda, I’d be cautious about calling it completely harmless."
What the Researchers Found
Among all the beverages tested, soda caused the largest and longest-lasting increase in mouth acidity.
Researchers found salivary pH remained significantly lower after drinking soda than after drinking water, both two minutes and 20 minutes later.
Both types of sparkling water also lowered mouth pH, but the effect was temporary. Regular sparkling water caused a drop after two minutes, while calcium-fortified sparkling water caused a decrease after five minutes. In both cases, acidity levels had nearly returned to normal within 20 minutes.
Importantly, pH levels stayed above 5.5—the point at which tooth enamel can begin to dissolve.
"Directly comparing different beverages using the same experimental framework allowed us to evaluate the effects of sparkling water relative to both soda—a higher-risk beverage—and plain water as a neutral reference," Zulfiqar said.
However, repeatedly sipping sparkling water throughout the day, rather than drinking it in one sitting, exposes teeth to acid more often. This gives saliva less time to restore the mouth's natural balance between exposures, Eskander, who runs Chelsea Dental Clinic, explained.
A Potential Alternative
The researchers cautioned that the study measured only short-term changes in mouth acidity. Long-term dental health can also be influenced by factors such as how often people consume acidic drinks, how long teeth are exposed to them and whether the beverage contains sugar.
Still, the findings suggest unsweetened sparkling water may be a more tooth-friendly choice than sugary soda.
"Our results suggest that replacing sugar-sweetened sodas with unsweetened sparkling water may help lower the risk of enamel erosion," Zulfiqar said.
The team plans to investigate the long-term impact of sparkling water on oral health in future studies.
The findings are considered preliminary because they were presented at a scientific conference and have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Eskander said future research should track actual enamel wear over months or years rather than focusing only on short-term changes in saliva acidity. She also suggested studying how people consume sparkling water in everyday life, noting that factors such as drinking habits, enamel condition, acid reflux, dry mouth, and brushing routines can all affect erosion risk.
While she described the study as a promising first step, Eskander said longer-term research is needed to better understand sparkling water's impact on dental health.
Reference
American Society for Nutrition. "Scientists reveal what sparkling water really does to your teeth." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 July 2026. .
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Charlotte Nisbet and Emma Lee-Sang
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