Dentists generally would like to see their pediatric patients stop using a Baby Sippy Cup in Broken Arrow OK by the age of 3 years old at the latest. Parents can have trouble convincing their children to give up the sippy cup habit without a struggle. They might consider that lots of children never even have a sippy cup, or they do so for a short time before switching to a plastic cup without a lid.
Time to Move On
The Baby Sippy Cup in Broken Arrow OK tends to be convenient for the parents, who can avoid the mess of spilt beverages. However, just as with eating utensils, children must advance in their habits and do so at an early age. Most children are using a spoon reasonably well by age 2 and getting practice with a fork as well.
A Brief History
Today’s grandparents may look at the entire concept of sippy cups as questionable. After all, there was no such thing when most of Generation X and all the baby boomers were toddlers. That particular type of spill-proof spout was not invented until the 1980s. Before then, mothers, fathers and babysitters had to put up with the frequent beverage spilling.
That’s one reason some parents let their little ones use bottles with cow’s milk or juice. They didn’t have spill-proof cups. As with sippy cups, though, these kinds of drinkware can cause problems with teeth. Parents become inclined to allow the children hold those devices and sip on them for lengthy time frames. That keeps the teeth in a continuous bath of sugary substances. Both milk and juice have sugars that can gradually cause tooth decay when held in the mouth so often.
Practice Makes Perfect
Children at the age of 2 and 3 can be expected to continue having some coordination problems with open cups for a good six months after they stop using sippy models. As they get better at the skill, they take pride in being able to drink from regular cups just like the adults and the older kids. Contact Kid’s Dental with any questions about this issue.