Dental X-rays for Children

My kids started having dental X-rays when they were 3 or 4. No big deal. In between their X-rays the dentist takes digital pics.

Please....

Dentists don't take x-rays for 'no reason'. They take them to ensure the teeth are coming in straight and if not, that orthodontic intervention can help as soon as possible. The xrays also help to ensure there are no hidden dental issues like developing cavities.

You know, people would probably do well in life to remember that a dentist or doctor goes to school in their specialty for at least four to five years on top of a four year undergraduate degree. When people decide--without the same degree-- that a medical professional is 'wrong' to use standard procedures, we have to wonder why that person refuses to listen to the expert they are hiring to do what they obviously don't know how to do. (in short, unless you have the letters DMD behind your name, maybe listen to your dentist?)

Well, this is just ridiculous. I know that sounds rude, but it really is. Being able to tell how teeth are developing is pretty darn important. If I had acted like you when my kids were growing up, the roots of both of my son's front top teeth would have been ruined by extra teeth that grew up above their teeth. For one of my kids, the front top baby teeth had to be pulled to give this extra tooth room to grow down so that IT could be removed. It looked like half a molar once it came down. Because they saw it with the x-rays, they could manage the problem in time to keep his permanent roots from being ruined. He has beautiful front teeth today, without braces.

Same kid, 11 years later - his x-rays showed another extra tooth growing in his lowers. If we hadn't seen THIS one, it would have ruined two permanent roots. And an oral surgeon had to remove this one.

My other kid ended up with an extra tooth over his permanent front tooth. This one had to be removed by an oral surgeon as well. Thankfully, no more extra teeth for him...

X-rays show all kinds of things the dentist would never see without them, including shadows of cavities that cannot yet be seen or felt on the outside. They are an important diagnostic tool. Dental insurance has very particular protocols as to how many x-rays they will pay for. Dentists won't take more x-rays than that protocol pays for unless there is an ongoing problem and they need to follow it for the treatment plan, and then they explain it to the insurance company.

The x-rays are not going to hurt your child. But they very well may help her. I can't imagine how AWFUL I would have felt if my kids front teeth had been ruined because I thought I knew more than their dentist who went to school for a lot more years than I did.

By 8 a child should have had several dental x-rays done. If my son had not been getting regular dental check ups that included x-rays he may have gotten very very sick, had permanent facial disfigurement, or possibly even died, from a severe abscess in the root of one of his molars. It never would've been found without x-rays. These dental X-rays are an important part of preventive medicine and the benefits far outweighs the small risk.

Intermittent xrays are a normal and necessary part of preventive dental care. Our dental insurance will pay for bitewing xrays every 12 months, and a panoramic xray every 5 years as a matter of routine care.

If your daughter has never had one by 8 years old, she is overdue. Her baby teeth are falling out and her adult teeth are coming in. Xrays show what the a visual exam can't see; cavities forming between the teeth, roots and jaw bones, abscesses and growths, extra or sideways adult teeth that haven't erupted yet, etc.

All of my kids have had xrays ...... earlier than 8 for SURE.
My youngest had a bajillion after our car accident....and CAT scans...and other scans. He's an A student and a star soccer player (for his age). There haven't been any issues.He had them as a newborn.
Wouldn't you rather they do the x ray and find any cavities then wait until the cavities are hurting her?

My kids had x-rays done starting about 3 yrs old. Once a year. Now that they are older, it is twice a year maybe. Depending on what has happened in the year. The xrays let the dentist see how the roots are doing, where the adult teeth are, any possible cavities near the gum-line or in between the teeth. My 5 yr old had dentist Saturday and did great with his first real set of xrays. They are not unnecessary and very low dose of radiation. They also show me the x-rays and I can see just what is going on.

Our son had his first panoramic xray at 6 yrs old.
It was what gave us our first heads up about his needing braces.
He had so many adult teeth forming up behind his baby teeth that it looked like a traffic jam and there was very little room for them to come down/up.
He did the expanders for awhile which solved the lack of space problem and then 2 yrs of braces - he finished before 6th grade was over.
He's 18 now and we just had his wisdom teeth out - and his teeth are perfect and he has a great smile.
An xray once or so a year won't hurt anything.
She'll get more accumulated radiation over her lifetime from being in sun light than she will from xrays.

Dental X-rays are NOT unnecessary. It's not like you're doing it on a daily basis.

What are you thinking about her overall health of her teeth and proper diagnosis? geeze she's 8 and it would be nice to know how her teeth are lining up for her adulthood and/or decay which can really screw things up in her mouth.

I hope for her future health that you get over your fear so she can get routine checks like she should be doing yearly.

My daughter started braces at 6 to correct a crossbite and had had many x-rays by 8.

We started going to the dentist at 3 years old for both my kids and they get x-rays once a year to check out their teeth.

Get her teeth checked....if we hadn't checked my daughter she would have had a tooth come in through the roof of her mouth.

Of course you need X-rays, how can they tell if there are any problems with her adult teeth that will be coming in, or if there are deep cavities inside, or if she has some disease that they need to know about now.

I can't imagine not having dental X-rays at least once per year from their first time at the dentist. Ours starting going as toddlers and had X-rays every year.

My kids get dental x-rays every year and have been since they were 3. So did I (since I was 5). There is so much a dentist can do to prevent problems with x-rays. It's really in your children's best interest.

Mine just got their teeth examined and cleaned while in preschool, but by 5 had the x-rays.

I think it's a good idea. It's a low dose of radiation, it's not going to be every year. You really need to know what the permanent teeth look like so the dentist knows what's to come - what if there were missing teeth or a big problem on the horizon. Having a head's up about possible braces, bite problems and more would be a great thing. Wouldn't you want to be prepared?

And if she has cavities, you'll know what the problem areas are and can address better dental hygiene, which most kids aren't that good at. We say, "Hey, did you brush your teeth?" and the kid says, "Yes!" but who knows if they're doing that good a job or if they do it often enough.

If she hurt a leg or an arm really badly, you'd x-ray it to be sure, right?

Eight is not so young for first time dental x-rays. My daughter has been seeing a pediatric dentist since she turned 2. Last year when she turned 4 she got her first dental x-rays. The dentist assured me that this is not done annually (unless he saw a reason to) and that they use the lowest dose of radiation possible.

My husband is working in the radiation field. He is conservative wit x-rays on our kids dental visits but has no problem when it's necessary as in an 8year old.

Don't worry. This time it would be good to have an idea how the adult teeth are coming in.

Otherwise, we do it rarely. Our kids luckily don't have cavities. I do not have x-rays necessary for that reason.

My daughter started at 3 or 4 too. The x-rays are to make sure the teeth are growing in properly. They can also determine if there will be future problems with her teeth. My daughter loves getting x-rays because she is able to see her teeth. I don't understand your hesitation about x-rays but she is your daughter so you have to do what you think is best.

Most kids, including mine, had dental x-rays by this point in their life. What exactly is your problem with the x-rays? The risk of issues stemming from radiation are so minute compared to the benefits of knowing how her adult teeth are lining up and the ability to predict future dental/orthodontic issues that may need to be addressed.

I will say that I don't let them x-ray my kids' mouths every visit - but only because it isn't necessary and I don't need to pay for 2 sets of x-rays a year. Usually we do 1 a year or sometime 18 months, depending on what is going on. Once they got all their adult teeth, we switched to every two years.

Good luck!

My kids had X-rays earlier than yours. It was necessary to get an accurate evaluation. My daughter had to have oral surgery due to a tooth in the middle of her top pallet. My son did as well. If you're overly concerned ask about a thyroid cuff. We use that with my daughter because her thyroid swells sometimes.

I would have it done.

my child was 6 and had only lost 2 teeth and then nothing for over 6 months i found it odd, my moma gut was telling me something was wrong. i talked to his dentist about it and she hesitated about doing an x-ray. but it turns out he is missing many permanent teeth (and according to the orthodontist may have a 3rd front tooth) so that x-ray was important in determining how to handle his dentistry in the future to give him the best smile possible and also retain the teeth needed for chewing

an 8 yr old should definitely have that x-ray to ensure everything is as it should be and not going to cause issues.

Mine have x-rays every other year. I think the 1st one was at age 5 for one (because it was clear he had some cavities) and age 7 for the other as part of routine care as his adult teeth were coming in. Bottom line - I trust my dentist. She had kids the same age as mine and I'm confident that she would not take "unnecessary" x-rays.

Your child is also at the age when you should start thinking about an orthodontic evaluation. That will also require x-rays to see how the teeth are coming in and if there is enough space.