[The Scientist (OP)]

When we keep drinking water daily, 7 to 8 glasses of water a day, are we eroding our teeth? Or removing the bacteria as well? What do you think? Please share your views! Thanks!

[CliffordK]

What are you drinking?

HCl?

Neutral water should have very little effect on the carbonates in the teeth.

There have been reports of excess sugars feeding the critters in your mouth, and excess acids (including carbonated beverages) dissolving the teeth, although I'm not sure of the absolute risk.

Stomach acid from acid reflux (heartburn) can also damage the teeth.

[Bored chemist]

Neutral water should have very little effect on the carbonates in the teeth.

Not lest because they are mainly calcium phosphate.

[Madidus_Scientia]

You don't need 7 to 8 glasses a day. You need whatever you feel like drinking. Our bodies have evolved very good internal signalling over these millions of years. If you need water, you'll feel thirsty.

[imatfaal]

You don't need 7 to 8 glasses a day. You need whatever you feel like drinking. Our bodies have evolved very good internal signalling over these millions of years. If you need water, you'll feel thirsty.

That superb internal signalling system is the reason that such a very small part of the population of the rich western world is obese ... ah - might have spotted a problem there.  Most of our homoeostatic mechanisms and feedback procedures were evolved under very different environmental conditions and might lead us astray now.

[Bored chemist]

OK, so one, irrelevant, part of the multitude of feedback systems goes wrong in some people and you think that's grounds to discredit all the bits that do work?

Incidentally, the 6 to 8 "glasses" of water includes that in other food and drink.

[Geezer]

Incidentally, the 6 to 8 "glasses" of water includes that in other food and drink.

Oh good! I was beginning to think I might have to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water as well as 6 to 8 glasses of beer, and I couldn't work out how I was ever going to get any sleep.

[Variola]

Oh good! I was beginning to think I might have to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water as well as 6 to 8 glasses of beer, and I couldn't work out how I was ever going to get any sleep.

Hey I am still pondering this...

  Most of our homoeostatic mechanisms and feedback procedures were evolved under very different environmental conditions and might lead us astray now.

If I am lead astray I can blame my homoeostasis....  []

[wolfekeeper]

Actually, many of us in the UK live in hard water areas (the water in my area is literally off the chart), and drinking hard water actually contributes significant amounts of calcium and magnesium, which is taken up by teeth. So it probably strengthens them.

[Geezer]

Actually, many of us in the UK live in hard water areas

You should probably only buy kettles on defurred terms.

[imatfaal]

OK, so one, irrelevant, part of the multitude of feedback systems goes wrong in some people and you think that's grounds to discredit all the bits that do work?

A. obesity is a major health problem and not irrelevant
B. it casts doubt on the claimed perfect efficacy of consumption feedback mechanisms.  once a universal rule for a set of subjects is shown not be universal then simple membership of that set is no longer sufficient for that rule necessarily to apply - it might still apply but it might not.

[Bored chemist]

A
Obesity is not relevant to dissolving teeth.
B
Nobody said the mechanism was perfect.
It remains, as described, very good.

[imatfaal]

BC - the whole reason this started was that one of the responses to the OP was the system for regulating intake were very good and we do not need conscious manipulation by goal setting.  I was pointing out that of the two main feedback systems that admit to conscious control of intake, one of them is flawed in a significant percentage of the population.

[Bored chemist]

And yet it remains true that practically nobody dies of thirst when there is water available to them and very few manage to drink enough water to do themselves any harm.
It's true that lots of people overeat. Not many "overdrink".
This shows that the two mechanisms differ in one important respect.
One fails a whole lot more often than the other.

For what it's worth we also maintain temperature and oxygen levels within pretty tight limits.

[The Scientist (OP)]

So what types of liquids that humans are able to consume, will/ may have the chance of eroding teeth?

[wolfekeeper]

Carbonated, and with other acids. Sugar-rich. If the fluorides are very high you will get discolourisation and pitting.

[The Scientist (OP)]

Carbonated, and with other acids. Sugar-rich. If the fluorides are very high you will get discolourisation and pitting.

Is a carbonated drink like Coke one of the examples?

[wolfekeeper]

Carbonation in water/drinks isn't very quick at eroding teeth, but it does do it, but sugar and phosphoric acid and citric acid and so forth are much more effective at attacking your pearly whites.

see:
http://www.ehow.com/about_5365577_harmful-effects-carbonated-water.html

So, yeah, coke, even diet coke.

[The Scientist (OP)]

Carbonation in water/drinks isn't very quick at eroding teeth, but it does do it, but sugar and phosphoric acid and citric acid and so forth are much more effective at attacking your pearly whites.

see:
http://www.ehow.com/about_5365577_harmful-effects-carbonated-water.html

So, yeah, coke, even diet coke.

Carbonation in water/drinks isn't very quick at eroding teeth, but it does do it, but sugar and phosphoric acid and citric acid and so forth are much more effective at attacking your pearly whites.

see:
http://www.ehow.com/about_5365577_harmful-effects-carbonated-water.html

So, yeah, coke, even diet coke.

Hmm, what is the rate of erosion for the teeth then?

[wolfekeeper]

Dunno, you'd have to read the literature.