Here’s the part that stops the party: carbonation creates carbonic acid. Yep, seltzer is slightly more acidic than still water. But before you panic, your stomach acid is way, way stronger. The pH of seltzer is around 4 or 5, which is about the same as black coffee.
So is it going to dissolve your teeth? Probably not, unless you’re sipping it like a fish all day and never rinsing. The real dental villains are the added sugars and citric acid in flavored seltzers. Plain seltzer? Your enamel will survive. Just don’t brush your teeth right after—wait 30 minutes to let your saliva do its job.
The Flavor Trap
Here’s where people get confused. You grab a sparkling water that says “natural flavors” and think you’re drinking water. You are not drinking plain water anymore. You’re drinking water with a chemical ghost of lemon or lime floating around.
Is that bad? Not really, unless you chug a gallon of it. But if you’re trying to cut sugar or avoid artificial stuff, plain seltzer is your best friend. It’s like the difference between a fresh apple and an apple-flavored candy – both taste apple-ish, but one is way more stripped down.
Seltzer vs Sparkling Water: What's the Difference? – Frizzlife
