Sippy cups are meant to help
children transition from bottles to cups.
They are a convenient way to prevent spills as children learn this new
skill. However, sippy cups are often
overused and misused, leading to tooth decay among toddlers and
preschoolers. Sippy cups can cause tooth
decay when they are filled with sugary beverages that children are allowed to
sip on throughout the day. This
constantly coats their teeth in sugar which allows bacteria and plaque to form
causing tooth decay. The American Academy
of Pediatric Dentistry offers these tips to help parents know how to properly
use sippy cups:
- The
sippy cup is a training tool to help children transition from a bottle to
a cup. It shouldn’t be used for a long period of time - it’s not a bottle
and it’s not a pacifier.
- Unless being used at mealtime,
the sippy cup should only be filled with water. Frequent drinking of any
other liquid, even if diluted, from a bottle or no-spill training cup
should be avoided.
- Sippy cups should not be used at naptime or bedtime unless they only have water in them.
Your dentist can further explain
the proper use of sippy cups and can evaluate your child for tooth decay. Use the sippy cup appropriately and let kids
try real cups too. They will be excited
to be a big kid and will get the hang of it faster than you may think!
