Radiographs (X-Rays) are a vital and necessary part of your child’s dental diagnostic process. Without them, certain dental conditions can and will be missed.Radiographs detect much more than cavities. For example, radiographs are taken to evaluate erupting teeth, evaluate the results of an injury, diagnose bone diseases, or plan orthodontic treatment. Radiographs allow the dentist to diagnose and treat health conditions that cannot be detected during a clinical examination. If dental problems are found and treated early, dental care is more comfortable for your child and more affordable for you.At Erickson Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics we follow the ADA (American Dental Association) and AAPD (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry) recommendations for taking radiographs. Children with a high cavity risk should have radiographs every six months. Children with moderate to low caries risk, radiographs are recommended approximately once a year. A panoramic radiograph is recommended every three years starting at age 5 to 6 years old. This special film helps us monitor the growth and development of your child’s teeth and bones.Exposure to radiation is always a concern. At Erickson Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics we have the newest in digital radiographic equipment. With digital radiographs the radiation exposure is extremely small. The risk is negligible. In fact, the dental radiographs represent a far smaller risk than an undetected and untreated dental problem.