Toddlers must use the said drinking utensil for only about three months or the child’s teeth and mouth structures could become malformed causing conditions such as Tongue Thrust, malocclusion, oral or motor speech disorders. These implements should also never be used when placing a child to sleep if the child associates it as being a pacifier or feeding bottle, the prolonged sucking on the sippy cup can malformed the bones and gums to such extent that they align with the cups instead of taking normal shape. Cleaning and general hygiene should also be observed with them, being careful to inspect and check for cracks or any shards that might signal pending failure which can injure your child. Take the child as early as possible to a dentist for early detection of problems while they are young preventing expensive surgery when they get their permanent teeth.