March 2010

Q: Dr. King, Are sippy cups okay for my child’s teeth?

A:  Most children begin holding a cup around age 8 months.  Sippy cups are wonderful for children if the parents follow two certain rules.  Here are the rules.

(1)  Children should not be given fruit juice, powdered liquids, or soda pop in sippy cups if the cup and its contents are to be made available to the child through out the day.  In other words, sugary liquids in sippy cups are okay only at mealtime.

(2)  As soon as your child can hold a cup of liquid without making a mess, it is time to discard the sippy cup.  Prolonged usage can abnormally wear the teeth and cause anterior open bites.

Q:  Dr. Oakes, my pediatric dentist told me that my nine year old is ready for an orthodontic evaluation.  Is nine years of age too young for braces?

A:  Ideally, I like to start female patients around age 10 to 11 and my male patients around age 11 to 12.  however, not every child can be held to there age parameters.  Some nine year olds have all or most of their permanent teeth, and are dentally ready to start braces.  Having said that, these same nine year olds that have very mature mouths may no have mature oral hygiene habits.  Therefore, as a parent you must decide if a nine year old child can take care of his/her teeth while being treated with braces.  We all love beautifully straight teeth, but there is nothing worse than straight teeth that have been damaged during orthodontic treatment due to poor brushing and flossing habits.