Sippy cups and your child's teeth Published Feb. 8, 2013 By Jennifer Hasslen, DDS 55th Dental Services Squadron OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- As soon as the first teeth appear in a baby's mouth, the fight against cavities begins. One of the risk factors for early childhood caries, sometimes called baby bottle tooth decay or nursing mouth syndrome, is frequent and prolonged exposure of a baby's teeth to liquids, such as fruit juice, milk or formula, which contain sugar. Putting a baby to bed with a bottle, for example, can cause tooth decay. Infants should finish their bottle before going to bed. Decay also happens when babies are awake; continuous sucking or sipping on any liquid, including fruit juices with either natural or added sugars, can cause tooth decay. Constant bathing of the teeth in anything but water can yield potentially devastating results. Parents should also be aware that some training cups, also called sippy or tippy cups, can promote tooth decay. No spill cups, for example, include a valve beneath the spout to prevent spills. These cups with valves do not allow your child to sip; instead the child gets liquid by sucking on the cup, much like a baby bottle. This practice defeats the purpose of using a training cup as it prevents the child from sipping and encourages slow, constant bathing of their teeth in sugary liquids. Training cups should only be used temporarily. Once your child has learned to sip, the training cup should be discontinued, or be used with water only for in-between meals and car rides. Any other liquids should be consumed at regular meal times when saliva flow is increased and sugar is washed off of the teeth. For sipping success, as the first birthday approaches and definitely by the second, encourage your child to drink from a cup (Dixie-like cups are about the right size). Remember that what you put in the cup is very important. Water is always best between meals and at bedtime.