Poster, with a dental health message, featuring an image of a tooth with a drink ring pull attached to it and the message 'Most fizzy drinks contain six teaspoons of sugar', produced by the Health Education Authority, England, 1992

A major cause of tooth decay is the over-consumption of sweets, sugar-sweetened foods and high-sugar fizzy drinks. Sugars encourage acid production. This slowly damages teeth, leading to decay. The gruesome image of a tooth being extracted with a drink ring pull highlighted the effect too many fizzy drinks could have on dental health.