Easing Growing Pains: Switching from Bottle to Cup for Your Little One
Is your baby ready for a sippy cup? Barbara Brody, writing for WebMD, has sage advice for parents mulling a switch from bottle to cup for their little ones. First off, note the suggestion by the American Academy of Pediatrics to wean babies off bottle-feeding before they’re 18 months old. It’s not a challenging feat so long as you have some tricks up your sleeve. Know what they are and what they mean for your kid’s oral health and overall well-being. Simcoe Kids Dental weighs in. (Source: Grow by WebMD, How to Switch Your Baby From Bottle to Cup, by Barbara Brody, reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD, March 21, 2022, https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/features/bottle-to-cup#:~:text=Bottles%20boost%20tooth%20decay.&text=%22The%20acid%20in%20juice%20is,which%20could%20lead%20to%20cavities).
Prolonged bottle-feeding poses multiple health concerns
Milk contains lactose sugar, while juice has acid, both of which can cause tooth decay in children. Sucking the drinks through a bottle lengthens the exposure time to these harmful substances, causing cavities. The risk of cavities in children is heightened when the milk and juice pool in their mouth, which happens if they’re used to falling asleep in bed with a bottle. “Breast milk contains natural sugars. The process of tooth decay can start when mothers start breastfeeding. Prolonged bottle feeding can compound the problem, ” says Simcoe Kids Dental.
Constant sucking can change the position of your child’s teeth as they get older. It can lead to an overbite, necessitating correction using braces. It can also affect their facial and jaw development.
Apart from tooth decay in children, lying down while drinking from a bottle can cause ear infections. The milk pooling in the mouth can flow into the baby’s Eustachian tube, increasing the risk of an ear infection.
Tactics to move from bottle to cup
You can secure your kids’ oral health and keep infections at bay with a few simple tips. Making a complete transition from bottle to cup is easier when introducing your child to a sippy cup around 6-9 months, as recommended by pediatricians. You could then go cold turkey on your little one, telling them that from now on, they will drink from cups only. Or you could wean them off bottles by alternating between cups and bottles in a day. Pediatricians suggest taking away the midday bottle first and then the morning bottle. For kids accustomed to sleeping with nighttime bottles, Barbara Brody cites the pediatric wean-off recommendation of following a ritual such as a warm bath, snuggling with a movie, or rocking your baby while telling them a bedtime story.
Your child won’t have as difficult a time as you might imagine
If you think your child will hate sippy cups, experiment with a few to find one that’s a hit with them. Avoid cups having a solid spout as they’re pretty much like nipples, and do try non-sippy cups, although they will take some getting used to.
Fear that refusing the sippy cup may lead to a calcium deficit? Although teeth lacking calcium can cause cavities in children, this problem generally doesn’t arise even if your child hates the sippy cup. You could supplement with yogurt, mashed sweet potatoes, and cheese. Children’s dentist at Simcoe Kids Dental says: “When your baby moves to solid foods, include calcium-rich pulses and lentils, which help with bone development and prevent tooth decay in children.”
It’s natural for kids to throw tantrums around giving up their bottles, but they’ll get over it. As for missing their nighttime bottle, children eventually learn to self-soothe and sleep without their bottle.
Create a dental home for your child
A child’s first dental visit should occur at 12 months of age or within six months of sprouting their first tooth. Establishing a dental home with a children’s dentist will ensure that all aspects of your kids’ oral health care are delivered in a coordinated and family-centric way. Early dental checkups go a long way in preventing cavities in children. You will be able to catch dental issues early and benefit cost-wise while being able to get treatment around your schedule.
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