Sugary drinks are destroying the teeth of Southern children and a switch to water is needed now, an oral health expert says.
Southern District Health Board oral health promoter Mike O'Brien said children damaging their teeth by drinking sugary drinks was a ''huge'' problem in the South.
Despite children having more dental checks and better treatment technology available, the rates of tooth decay were increasing in New Zealand, he said.
Water was a wise drink choice because soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks and juices contained acid and sugar that destroyed teeth.
The New Zealand Dental Association is running a ''switch to water'' campaign to encourage people to switch from sugary drinks to water for 30 days.
Mr O'Brien gave colourful water bottles to the 12 pupils at Tino-E-Tasi Preschool in Corstorphine, Dunedin.
When he asked if they knew why he was giving them water bottles, pupil Skylah Tupu knew: ''Because water is good for you.''
Bottles were given to pupils at five pre-schools in Dunedin and six in Invercargill.
National Oral Health Day is on November 6.
Free dental care is on offer in Dunedin and Invercargill on November 7 to low income adults who require but cannot afford treatment.
Southern Cross Health Trust and the New Zealand Dental Association is offering the free care to 1500 low income adults in 19 practices across the country, including Dentistry on George St, Dunedin, and Waihopai School Dental Clinic, Invercargill.
