Is your child using a sippy cup? While they can be useful for many learning to move from a bottle to a cup, they can also damage the teeth. Your dentist wants to make sure your child gets the best start in life when it comes to their teeth, and here are four things he or she wants you to know.
1. Children Constantly Drink
Sippy cups with juice and milk can lead to tooth decay because of the way children will constantly drink from them. As such, their mouths never really get a break from the sugars and acids, unlike they would if they were given drinks at set regular intervals. Water is the best option to have on a constant basis, with milk a better option than fruit juices. My Children's Teeth states that sippy cups can contain something other than water at mealtimes only.
2. Children End Up Sucking
Depending on the type of sippy cup your child has, he or she could end up sucking instead. This is common with those that have valves to prevent any spillages. Children have to suck to get anything out, and it can cause similar problems to bottles. The teeth can pull forward and prevent the mouth from developing properly. One that pours liquid freely is better, as children learn to sip instead of suck.
3. Children Are Predisposed to Obesity
While this is not completely teeth related, dentists do want your children to be healthy. Children drinking from sippy cups are predisposed to adult obesity. They get used to sugary drinks with meals or drinking for comfort when they are stressed. This means more calories drank compared to those burned off throughout the day.
4. Children Get More Sugar and Acid on the Teeth
The way the sippy cups are designed now, the liquid goes past the lips and straight onto the teeth. This means all the acid and sugars within the liquid touch the teeth, rather than bypassing them completely. There is a higher risk of tooth decay and gum disease. This is made even worse with the fact that children tend to continually drink throughout the day.
Sippy cups can be useful for a short period of time, but you need to eventually move on. Your dentist wants you to know just how damaging the cups can be for children and their teeth. Only put water in them, except for mealtimes, and help your child learn to drink from a cup as soon as possible.
For a dentist, contact an office such as Family Dental Care.
Share21 July 2016
As a child, I used to spend my days roaming through the woods. I climbed trees, smelled the flowers, and laid in the grass looking at the clouds. My love for nature continued through my teen years, but when I turned 23, I began to sneeze whenever I left my home. I could no longer enjoy my outdoor hikes and I started taking antihistamines so I could at least open my windows on warm days. My allergies got worse though and I met with an allergist who completed a variety of skin tests. I started receiving allergy shots and my allergist taught me about natural cleaning processes and sinus rinses. The injections and natural treatments improved my quality of life greatly. Even if you do not want to start allergy injections, you have a variety of options that can lessen your symptoms, and you should learn what these options are.
