Is Tap Water Really That Bad For Us?

I was recently at someone's house and I grabbed a glass and proceeded to help myself to some water out of the tap. You would have thought I just told everyone in the room that I am a serial killer.

Drinking tap water is unheard of these days. But, at the risk of sounding old, when I was a kid tap water was our only option. And, for the most part I turned out OK. I am sure people would debate that though.

Is tap water really that bad for you?

Plain ol' tap water was good enough for you and guess what? It is good enough for your kids and grandbabies, too, since research shows that children are plagued with more cavities now that they are getting the H2O from a bottle.

Tooth decay in 2- to 5-year-olds is rising in alarming numbers, and experts say one reason is because tap water is a great source of cavity preventing fluoride but kids commonly do not drink it anymore. "We have had a huge increase in kids going to the operating room," says Dr. Jonathan Shenkin, spokesman for the American Dental Association and a pediatric dentist in Augusta, Maine. "We are treating more kids more aggressively earlier."

Other factors contributing to the upswing are indulgent parents, adds Manhattan pediatric dentists Dr. Jed Best, who is stunned at moms and dads who will not help their children brush because they kick up a fuss. "Some parents say: 'I don't want my little darling to be traumatized.'" Dentist Best retorts: "I'd much rather have a kid cry with a soft toothbrush than when I have to drill a cavity."(Healthday)

Do you think drinking tap water is OK? Whether you are an adult or a child, is it OK to drink water out of the tap?