Sippy Cups and tooth decay

The connection to tooth decay and sippy cups is logical but yet it seems pacifiers and bottles get more of a bad wrap. Sippy cups were developed to transition from bottles to regular cups. When toddlers drink from these cups, they immerse the six front upper teeth in a drink that contains some sort of sugars. The convenience of these sippy cups leads children to sip on them throughout the day and all day long. This means sugars on the teeth for long periods of time which leads to the breakdown of enamel and cavities.

Even healthy juices and milks contain natural sugars that can decay these teeth. It is recommended that you give your child water throughout the day and only give other beverages at meal time. Like bottles, sippy cups should not be given when a child goes down for a nap or for the night. Sippy cups should be used as a transitional step for children, not as a long term solution for convenience.

This topic brings up a further point of getting young children to the dentist by 1 year of age. Pediatric dentists provide information on all topics for oral health care. Teaching parents important habits for their children and going over growth and development, an extremely important part of long term oral health. Dentists assess diet and feeding patterns that may contribute to tooth decay. Baby teeth are very important because they hold the place for permanent teeth and help guide them into correct position, so keeping these baby teeth healthy is very important.

We offer a free happy visit for children under the age of 3 years old if the child does not have dental insurance that covers regular check ups. Our pediatric dentists want to establish early care and prevention.

Click HERE for a link to Delta Dental and why they recommend your child see a pediatric dentist by the age of one!