瓶装水可能对我们的牙齿不太好

Americans have been drinking more and more bottled water over the last decade. According to Statista, annual water bottle consumption grew by nearly 40% between 2010 and 2019, yielding a total average of 44 gallons per person as of 2019. Many people continue to choose bottled water over tap water, a choice that was illustrated by a 2020 American Water survey conducted by OnePoll that found nearly 70% of the 2,004 participants preferred bottled water over tap water (via Study Finds).

在过去的十年里，美国人饮用的瓶装水越来越多。根据Statista的数据，2010年至2019年，瓶装水的年消费量增长了近40%，截至2019年，人均总消费量为44加仑。许多人继续选择瓶装水而不是自来水，OnePoll进行的一项2020年美国水调查说明了这一选择，该调查发现，在2004名参与者中，近70%的人更喜欢瓶装水而不是自来水。

Why Americans are opting for bottled water over tap water appears to be linked to health concerns regarding the contents of the water. A 2020 survey conducted by J.D. Power found that one-quarter of Americans never drink tap water (via D Business). Andrew Heath, senior director of utilities intelligence at J.D. Power, comments on some of the top reasons for hesitancy, stating, "A combination of bad taste, bad smell, high mineral content, and general fears about water safety are prompting a sizable portion of Americans — particularly in western and southern states — to avoid drinking their tap water."

为什么美国人选择瓶装水而不是自来水，似乎与水的含量有关的健康问题有关。J.D. Power在2020年进行的一项调查发现，四分之一的美国人从不喝自来水。安德鲁·希斯高级设施情报主管J.D. Power,评论的一些顶级犹豫不决的原因,说,“坏味道,臭味,矿物含量高,和一般对水安全的担忧促使相当部分的美国人——尤其是在西部和南部各州避免饮用自来水。”

Despite bottled water being a popular alternative amongst Americans, it may not be in the best interest of our teeth.

尽管瓶装水在美国人中很受欢迎，但它可能对我们的牙齿不太好。

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tap water and bottled water are regulated by different government agencies. The quality of tap water is overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), while bottled water is regulated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). While some bottled water products contain fluoride, others do not, and a lack of fluoride can contribute to oral health problems such as tooth decay.

根据美国疾病控制和预防中心(CDC)的说法，自来水和瓶装水由不同的政府机构监管。自来水的水质由美国环境保护署(EPA)监管，而瓶装水则由美国食品和药物管理局(FDA)监管。虽然一些瓶装水产品含有氟化物，但另一些不含，而缺乏氟化物会导致口腔健康问题，如蛀牙。

Low pH levels are also of concern when it comes to bottled water. A neutral pH level for tap water stands at 7, but some bottled water brands can contain a pH level as low as 4, according to McLean Dentistry. Bottled water products containing anything below a pH level of 7 are considered acidic, which can damage tooth enamel. Dr. Eunjung Jo of Astor Smile Dental explains via Daily Mail that "Our enamel starts to erode at a pH level of 5.5 so it's best to avoid any drinks with a pH that is lower than 5.5." Bottled water brands such as Voss, Dasani, Smartwater, and Aquafina were found to have a pH level of 4, and therefore considered "very acidic."

瓶装水的pH值低也是一个问题。据麦克莱恩牙科公司称，自来水的中性pH值为7，但一些瓶装水品牌的pH值可能低至4。pH值低于7的瓶装水被认为是酸性的，会损害牙釉质。爱斯特微笑牙科公司的Eunjung Jo博士在接受《每日邮报》采访时解释道:“我们的牙釉质在pH值为5.5时开始腐蚀，所以最好避免喝任何pH值低于5.5的饮料。”瓶装水品牌如Voss, Dasani, Smartwater和Aquafina的pH值为4，因此被认为是“非常酸性的”。

For those wishing to take additional preventative measures, Dr. Tema Starkman of High Line Dentistry suggests making conscious choices to ensure you and your loved ones are getting enough fluoride. This is especially true for young children. Dr. Starkman states via Daily Mail, "If they are not drinking a significant amount of tap water and are only drinking filtered, bottled water without measured levels of fluoride, then they could developmentally have problems."

对于那些希望采取额外预防措施的人，High Line Dentistry的特玛·斯塔克曼(Tema Starkman)医生建议，要有意识地选择，以确保你和你所爱的人摄入足够的氟化物。对于小孩子来说尤其如此。斯塔克曼博士在接受《每日邮报》采访时表示，“如果他们没有饮用大量的自来水，而只饮用过滤过的、没有检测到氟化物水平的瓶装水，那么他们的发育可能会出现问题。”