Teething, Bottles and Sippy Cups: Why Around Six Months Matters

For parents of teething babies, around six months can feel like a lot to manage at once.

Gums are sore. Sleep can be disrupted. Solid foods are beginning. And right in the middle of all of it, Australian and New Zealand health guidance says it is also time to start introducing a cup.

That overlap is not a coincidence. It reflects how development works. The teething stage and the start of complementary feeding often arrive at a similar time, and with solids comes the need to begin practising cup drinking.

At Revivco, we stock the HEORSHE Dental-Care Sippy Cup because it fits this exact stage. This post explains why the transition matters, what Australian and New Zealand guidance says, and what to look for in a cup when your baby’s gums are already under pressure.

When should babies start using a cup?

Both Australian and New Zealand health guidance point to around six months as the right time to begin.

Raising Children Network, Australia’s evidence-based parenting resource, says babies can start learning to drink from a cup from around six months. It also recommends weaning babies off the bottle by 12 months, noting that early cup practice helps prepare babies for that transition.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Health Healthy Eating Guidelines for New Zealand Babies and Toddlers (0–2 years old) also align the introduction of new feeding skills with the start of complementary feeding at around six months.

The shared message across Australia and New Zealand is simple: start early, practise often, and make cup drinking a normal part of daily feeding before bottle habits become harder to change.

Why does the bottle-to-cup transition matter?

The risks of prolonged bottle use are well documented.

Raising Children Network notes that bottle feeding beyond 12 months can increase the risk of tooth decay, particularly when children fall asleep with bottles. During sleep, there is less saliva in the mouth to help protect teeth from sugars in milk.

It also notes that ongoing bottle use can lead children to drink more milk than they need, which may displace important solid foods that provide nutrients such as iron and zinc.

Australian research has also reinforced this concern. A 2025 Healthy Smiles Healthy Kids cohort study reported that bottle feeding to sleep in toddlerhood was linked with higher risks of early childhood dental decay and overweight outcomes.

In other words, the goal is not to rush babies away from milk feeds before they are ready. The goal is to build cup-drinking skills gradually, so the transition away from bottles becomes easier over time.

Why teething changes the experience

Tresillian notes that many babies get their first teeth around six months, although timing varies from baby to baby. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby, an Australian Government-funded health information service, also notes that baby teeth commonly begin appearing from around six months through to two or three years of age.

This means cup introduction often begins when a baby’s mouth is already sensitive.

When gums are sore, babies may be less tolerant of hard textures, firm pressure or spouts that require biting. If cup practice feels uncomfortable, babies may resist it — not because they are not ready to learn, but because the physical experience is unpleasant.

That is why cup choice matters more during the teething stage.

What should parents look for in a first cup?

1. A soft drinking surface

During active teething, a soft silicone spout may feel gentler on sore gums than harder plastic alternatives. This can make early cup practice less frustrating for babies who are already managing mouth discomfort.

2. Safe, baby-appropriate materials

Babies at this stage mouth, chew and explore constantly. A first cup should use baby-safe materials suitable for repeated contact with the mouth.

The HEORSHE Dental-Care Sippy Cup uses a PPSU bottle base, silicone spout and straw, and PP cap, collar and handles. It is designed for babies from 6 months+ in the smaller size and 9 months+ in the larger size.

3. Easy-grip handles

Around six months, babies are still developing hand control and coordination. Handles designed for small hands can support early independence and reduce frustration during cup practice.

4. Drinking from different angles

Babies do not always hold a cup perfectly upright. A weighted straw can help the straw follow the liquid, allowing babies to drink from different positions while they are still learning coordination.

5. Support for developing mouths

The HEORSHE Dental-Care Sippy Cup has been designed with emerging teeth in mind. Its soft spout includes small side wings intended to help distribute sucking pressure more evenly across the mouth while babies drink.

This is not a replacement for dental advice, and no cup can prevent all feeding or dental issues. But for babies in the teething stage, a cup designed with soft materials and developing mouths in mind can make sense.

Why Revivco chose the HEORSHE Dental-Care Sippy Cup

We stock the HEORSHE Dental-Care Sippy Cup because it matches the stage many Revivco parents are already navigating.

At around six months, babies are often dealing with sore gums, beginning solids, learning to sit more independently, and starting to practise new feeding skills. Teething relief and cup introduction are not separate parenting moments — they often happen together.

The Dental-Care Sippy Cup brings together the features we look for in this stage:

• soft silicone spout
• weighted straw for drinking from different angles
• easy-grip handles
• dual-vent anti-colic valves designed to reduce air intake
• materials suited to baby feeding products
• age suitability from 6 months+

It sits naturally alongside Revivco’s teething range because both products support the same developmental window: sore gums, unsettled moments, and the early steps toward feeding independence.

A practical note for parents

Neither a cup nor a teether will make the teething stage easy. But the right products can reduce friction.

A gentle teether can help support sore gums. A well-designed first cup can make daily practice easier. Together, they can help parents manage a stage where teething, solids and bottle-to-cup transition all overlap.

If your baby is around six months old and you are starting to think about the bottle-to-cup transition, it may be worth considering both together — not as separate purchases, but as part of the same developmental stage.

Sources

• Raising Children Network — Learning to drink from a cup; Weaning off the bottle
• New Zealand Ministry of Health — Healthy Eating Guidelines for New Zealand Babies and Toddlers (0–2 years old), 2021
• Tresillian — Teething signs and symptoms
• Pregnancy, Birth and Baby — Teething and baby teeth
• Healthy Smiles Healthy Kids cohort study, 2025
• HEORSHE Dental-Care Sippy Cup product information