Does Bottled Water Have Fluoride?

If you drink a lot of bottled water, you’re probably wondering whether or not it contains fluoride.

Some people want to drink fluoride for its dental health benefits. Other people have less favorable opinions about fluoride, based on the contesting information available online, and would rather avoid it until there’s more evidence about the safety of the mineral.

Wherever you stand, this guide will look at whether bottled water contains fluoride, and help you to find out whether your favorite branded water is fluoridated.

❔ Does Bottled Water Contain Fluoride?

There’s no yes or no answer to this question.

Some bottled water products contain fluoride, while others don’t. The amount of fluoride in bottled water depends on the water source, and whether the bottled water manufacturer has filtered out the water’s natural fluoride content or added fluoride in.

You’ll drink fluoride in bottled water if…

• The bottled water comes from a water source containing fluoride
• The bottled water hasn’t been filtered or purified using a method that removes fluoride
• The bottled water has had fluoride added to it

Most bottled water contains traces of fluoride, unless it’s advertised as fluoride-free bottled water. There are a few brands that offer deliberately fluoridated drinking water, and other brands that market their water as fluoride-free.

✅ Is Fluoride in Bottled Water Regulated?

Yes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates fluoride in bottled water. We’ve shared more information about how much fluoride commercial water bottles can contain in the section below.

Plus, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates fluoridated water in municipalities. So, if bottled drinking water comes from a source that has received community water fluoridation, the fluoride levels will be below the EPA’s maximum amount (as long as the manufacturer hasn’t added fluoride above these set limits).

🧾 How Much Fluoride does Bottled Water Contain?

Again, this depends on the manufacturer, the water source, and the way the water is treated.

Bottled water manufacturers must follow updated guidelines set out by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for fluoridated bottled waters. These guidelines were introduced after the FDA evaluated findings from research into the risk of dental fluorosis.

The FDA’s limit for fluoride in bottled water is 0.7 milligrams per liter (mg/L). The rules require bottled water manufacturers selling their products in the US to contain their water’s fluoride levels to within this amount.

Some bottled water contains more fluoride than others. If you’re buying fluoridated water advertised to have dental health benefits, including preventing tooth decay, it’ll likely have a fluoride content closer to 0.7 mg/L than 0.

But if you’re buying filtered tap water, demineralized spring water, reverse osmosis water, or purified water, the manufacturer may have taken steps to remove fluoride entirely – unless fluoride is specified as an added ingredient.

🔎 How to Find Out How Much Flouride your Bottled Drinking Water Contains

Unfortunately, the FDA doesn’t require manufacturers to list how much fluoride their bottled water contains, especially if it’s only found in trace amounts. However, manufacturers adding fluoride to their bottled water are required to list their water’s levels of fluoride.

If fluoride isn’t listed on the label of your favorite bottled drinking water, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends contacting the manufacturer directly and asking about whether their products contain fluoride. For extra peace of mind, you could ask to see official testing for fluoride in the products.

🤔 Should You Drink Fluoride in Water?

It depends. Fluoride minerals that occur naturally can help prevent tooth decay, and most people drink low levels of fluoride in municipal tap water without any negative health effects.

The mineral does have some side effects, though, including fluorosis (dental and skeletal), especially in young children. You may want to avoid fluoridated drinking water if you don’t want to protect your teeth in such a way that could affect your health.

🧠 Bottled Water Fluoride FAQs

What water brands contain fluoride?

Some of the bottled water brands that contain fluoride are Ice Mountain, Crystal Springs, Diamond Springs, Deer Park, Belmont Springs, Zephyrhills, Sierra Springs, and Mount Olympus.

What brands of bottled water do not have fluoride?

Bottled water brands that don’t have fluoride include Smartwater, Aquafina, Evian, Nestle Pure Life, Poland Spring, Dasani, ESKA, Sam’s Choice, and Icelandic Glacial. Bottled water brands occasionally change their recipes, so contact the manufacturer for the most up-to-date information about their water’s ingredients.

Related: Best bottled water to drink

Does natural spring water have fluoride?

Fluoride is a natural compound. This means that, if it’s found naturally in the spring water that sources your favorite water brand, it’ll also be found in the bottled drinking water. Different regions have different natural levels of fluoride, so the amount of fluoride in bottled spring water depends on where in the world the water has been sourced.

Does purified water contain fluoride?

No. If water has been purified by a manufacturer – whether it’s tap water or water from a spring – it shouldn’t contain fluoride. The only exception is if the brand adds fluoride back into their water after purifying it. Again, contact the manufacturer if this information isn’t available on the bottle.

Is it safe to drink water with added fluoride?

It depends on the type of fluoride that has been added. Natural fluorides are much safer and healthier than industrial synthetic fluorides. It’s always better to drink tap water with natural fluoride than tap water that has had fluoride added to it.

If you don’t get fluoride from water, are you at risk of tooth decay?

Not usually. For one thing, you can usually find fluoride in foods like grapes, potatoes, and black tea. You can also buy dental products, like toothpaste, that contain fluoride. The advantage of these is that they don’t need to be consumed, so they support your teeth without posing a health risk.

Fluoride offers tooth protection, helping with the prevention of tooth decay, so it’s useful to include in your diet. But we certainly don’t need it in our water, and as long as your dental health practices are good, your teeth won’t rot from avoiding fluoridated water.