My sister lets her 7 yr old son drink soda from sippy cups. I know he is way too old for a sippy cup and so does my sister but she says she gives it to him because my nephew is clumsy and she doesn’t want him to spill soda in her car or on the carpet in their home. My nephew walks around with the cup in his mouth holding it with his teeth and bouncing it up and down. He thinks it’s a joke. I know it’s really none of my business but is there something I can say to my sister just once to convince her that this is not normal? Thank you. Tanya
Tanya – If you decide to speak with your sister about the issue, we suggest that you do so tactfully, and choose the right time to do it. It may not be a good idea to address it while your nephew is actually using a sippy cup.
As you may know, the sippy cup was designed to help young children transition from a bottle to a regular drinking cup. Because children tend to hold a sippy cup in their mouth for prolonged periods, it should only contain water. Keeping sugary liquid—including soda, which is both sugary and acidic—in contact with the teeth for prolonged periods promotes and accelerates tooth decay.
Additionally, if your nephew is bouncing the cup with his teeth, it can interfere with proper tooth position and development.
Your sister can talk to her family dentist or your nephew’s pediatric dentist for more information on the harmful effects of continued use of sippy cups for drinking soda.
This post is sponsored by the San Jose dentists of Hillsdale Dental Care.
