As the Coca-Cola trucks start out on their annual tour of UK cities today, paediatric dentists warn parents not to allow their children to develop a taste for the drinks that are handed out free of charge at each location.

Last year dentists and action groups spoke out against the tour not only because of concerns about decay levels but also rising obesity in children.

The typical paediatric dentist removes hundreds, if not thousands of decayed teeth every year, sometimes from children as young as two and three. Excessive sugar consumption is responsible for the decay and it’s found not just in food but in fizzy drinks.

The first stops this year are Edinburgh and Cardiff. Claire Stevens, spokesperson for BSPD, said: “'The motive for the tour can only be to encourage consumption of Coca-Cola brands. All of the drinks are harmful, including the zero sugar version, as they cause erosion, which baby teeth are particularly susceptible to.'

'We share and support the advice of Public Health England that fizzy drinks should have no place in a child’s diet.'

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