Trade in your bottle water or drink from the tap?

It’s been a debate for the last several years, especially as bottled water sales have been on the rise. But should you trade in your tap water for a bottled version?

According to the San Francisco Department of Health there isn’t any proof that bottled water is more pure or healthy than tap water. Research has found it hard to prove whether one type is better than the other. Water is regulated by different sources, yet those regulations are almost identical for the two sources.

While, bottled water may seem to have more benefits on the outset – from those pristine mountain images on the cover to the promises on the label, there are particular costs to consider that have defining facts and statistics to back them up.

First, the price of bottled water is 300 times more expensive than the use of tap water. Second, bottled water comes with costs for the environment – from shipment, emissions, and trash – when not properly recycled.  On the flip side, others say it’s all about taste – and the taste of their tap water just doesn’t compare to what you can get in a bottle.

Let’s now talk about how this relates to your teeth. Fluoride comes with many benefits, including the prevention of tooth decay. Unfortunately, bottled waters often lack sufficient amounts of fluoride. So how can you get more fluoride if you are a bottled water drinker? Easy, according to the Centers for Disease Control, first brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, take a fluoride supplement, or a mouth rinse containing fluoride.