While it’s an easy answer to a hot day when you’re out and about with the family, bottled water is not always the best solution to your child’s thirst. There are a couple of different reasons that we recommend that your child not drink only bottled water, and we’ll look at them today.
BOTTLED UP
One thing we want to say up front is that your child needs water. And water is better than juice or pop for your child. Juices, pop and sports drinks are full of sugar, which is not good for your child’s oral health. The sugary drinks encourage bacterial growth and decay and can leave your child thirstier than when they started. If you’re at a soccer game or on the beach and the only water available to your child is bottled water, by all means, give it to them. Our focus today is on why bottled water shouldn’t be the only water they drink.
Bottled water, first of all, comes packaged in plastic and we all know how much of an environmental problem plastic is becoming. There are alternatives such as boxed water or carrying your own reusable water bottle. Another thing to consider is that your child needs fluoridated water in order to encourage strong teeth. For over 70 years, children and adults in the United States have been drinking fluoridated water and it’s led to better dental health all around.
Drinking water that has been fluoridated helps keep teeth strong and also reduces your child’s risk for dental cavities. Bottled water generally has not been fluoridated and therefore, if that’s all that your child is drinking, they’re missing out on the positive effects of fluoridated water.
If you are concerned about the amount of fluoride that your child may or may not be getting, please don’t hesitate to call our office and talk it over with us. We offer many tips and treatments to make sure that your little one has the healthiest mouth possible! And don’t forget to stay hydrated!
