The famous Coca Cola truck is due to visit Wales in a matter of days, touring all around the country. With many of the public having expressed interest and excitement in going to see the truck, local dentists have a different view on the festivities.
The truck is synonymous with the yule tide season, due to many years of expensive marketing, advertisements, and promotion. Coca Cola have also played a big part in shaping the image of Santa over the years as a jolly, red coat wearing, present bringer. The issue that dentists have with the popular drink, besides the sugar content, is the acids levels that are present in them, even with diet Coca Cola there are still risks of enamel corrosion. The pH level of water is 7, which is neutral, however Coca Cola’s typical pH is between 2.5 to 4.2. Anything under a pH of 5.5 will destroy the tooth enamel over time.
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University’s public health visitor, Jane O’Kane, had this to say, “We know that the acids in fizzy drinks erode tooth enamel which can lead to tooth decay. Our strong advice to parents is that children only need to drink water and milk, which have a neutral pH level in the mouth.”