The pH of 50 popular drinks. An enamel damage reference.

Lab-measured pH values for 50 popular drinks, compiled from peer-reviewed dental research and ranked against pH 5.5, the level below which tooth enamel begins to demineralize. Built as a free reference for journalists, bloggers, and anyone writing about drinks and teeth. 45 of the 50 sit below the line.

All 50 drinks at a glance

Sorted most acidic first. Bars show the lab-measured pH (the lower bound where a study reported a range). The dashed line marks pH 5.5. Hover a bar for the exact value.

Chart: Minvelle, from the sources listed below. Reuse freely with a link to this page.

The full table

Click a column header to re-sort. Where a study reported a range across flavors or brands, the range is shown and the table sorts on its lower bound.

Why pH 5.5 is the line

Tooth enamel is mostly hydroxyapatite, a calcium-phosphate mineral. Below roughly pH 5.5 that mineral starts to leach out of the enamel surface, a process called demineralization. Saliva buffers acid and slowly redeposits minerals between exposures, but frequent or slow sipping keeps the mouth under the line longer than saliva can repair. The pH scale is logarithmic: a drink at pH 3 is about 300 times more acidic than the 5.5 threshold.

Methodology

Every pH in this table is a real, lab-measured value from a traceable source: the Journal of the American Dental Association (2016 study of 379 beverages), PLOS ONE, BMC Oral Health, PMC-indexed dental journals, Metrohm laboratory application notes, the CBC Marketplace lab test of sparkling waters, and published university and dental-practice lab tables. Where a study reported a range across flavors or brands, we show the range instead of picking a flattering single number. Products whose only available "data" was a marketing label, a social media post, or a home pH-strip reading were dropped; six popular drinks were cut for exactly that reason. Verdicts are mechanical: below pH 5.5 is marked erosive, at or above is marked safer. No product placement, no sponsorship, and drinks from every category we could verify, including the ones people assume are safe.

Sources

Every value traces to one of these. The JADA study is linked via its PubMed record.

1. Reddy A. et al., The pH of beverages in the United States, Journal of the American Dental Association (2016), via PubMed · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26653863/
2. Erosive Potential and Sugar Content of Popular Beverages: A Double Whammy for Dentition (PMC) · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9946762/
3. Analysis of the pH levels in energy and pre-workout beverages and frequency of consumption (PMC, 2024) · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11395561/
4. pH analysis of still and carbonated bottled water: potential influence on dental erosion (PMC) · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9033543/
5. Acidity and Antioxidant Activity of Cold Brew Coffee (PMC) · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6207714/
6. Analysis of the Surface Morphology of Dental Enamel Exposed to Ready-to-Drink Alcoholic Beverages (PMC) · https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12809911/
7. Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine, beverage pH study (2023) · https://advances.umw.edu.pl/en/article/2023/32/11/1241/
8. Analysis of caffeine, pH, and acidity in coffee, Metrohm application note AN-T-225 · https://www.metrohm.com/en/applications/application-notes/aa-t-001-100/an-t-225.html
9. CBC Marketplace lab test of sparkling waters (Perrier, LaCroix, Bubly) · https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/marketplace-carbonated-water-test-1.6245588
10. Is Carbonated Water Bad for Your Teeth? McGill Office for Science and Society · https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-and-nutrition-quackery/carbonated-water-bad-your-teeth
11. Beverage acidity reference table (dental practice compilation of lab values, PDF) · https://markdannerdmd.com/downloads/table-beverage-acidity.pdf
12. pH of popular bottled waters, lab table (PDF) · https://mcleandentistry.com/storage/app/media/_docs/updated-ph-of-popular-bottle-water.pdf
13. Pakistan Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, beverage pH measurement study (2022, PDF) · https://pjmhsonline.com/2022/jan/767.pdf
14. Understanding Prosecco and teeth, State Street Dental (wine pH values) · https://www.statestreetdental.us/blogs/understanding-prosecco-teeth

Go deeper

The full write-up with category analysis and protection strategies: we checked the pH of 50 popular drinks. Related reading: energy drinks and tooth enamel · is sparkling water bad for teeth? · coffee and a tooth-safe morning routine

This reference is maintained by Minvelle, an Austrian oral care brand that makes a sugar-free nano-hydroxyapatite chewing gum. We publish the data because the acid research is useful whether or not you ever buy anything from us. Informational only, not medical advice; for your own teeth, talk to your dentist.