Sippy cups have a tight lid, along with a spill proof bill-shaped spout, and can make the transition of going from bottle to drinking from a cup easier. However, prolonged sucking on a sippy cup that contains fruit juice, formula, or milk leaves acids and sugars on your child's teeth. Over time, this can cause problems, such as eroding tooth enamel, cavities, and more.

Choosing the Right Cup

There is a variety of options when it comes to sippy cups available on the market, and choosing the right one for your child is important.  One of these options is no spill cups, which are cups that have a valve under the spout to prevent them from leaking. These cups may eliminate messes, but the valves will not allow your child to sip. Instead, they have to suck the liquid from their cup in much the same way as when they drink from a baby bottle.

When they suck on the cup instead of sip, your child's natural saliva does not have enough time to rinse away the sugar that causes tooth decay.

The best sippy cups to purchase your child are those that do not have valves. Instead, they have a slotted opening, which limits the amount of liquid that flows through it. This requires your child to sip the drink instead of suck. Let your child try a few cups out to find the one they like best.  

Using the Sippy Cup

Sippy cups are intended to be used on a temporary basis while your child is learning how to sip. During this time, there are thing you can do to protect your child's teeth. Only allow your child to use their sippy cups during mealtime, or while having a snack. Their saliva production increases while they are eating a meal, which helps to rinse food particles from their mouth.

Only let your child use their cup while they are at the table or in their high chair. Frequent sips of sugary liquids lead to tooth decay. Besides this, they could easily fall while drinking from their cup, which would cause injury to their teeth and mouth.

Make sure you clean the cup after each use. Liquid gets trapped in the little nooks and crannies, which leads to bacteria and mold growth.

Instead of sugary fruit juices, give your child water instead. If your child gets thirsty in-between meals, offer them a cup of water. Most importantly, take your child to the dentist by the time they have their first birthday to get a good start on oral health care.