When do your pediatric dentist start to have a mouth x-ray on your DC?

[moonsky]

The local pediatric dentist starts to x-ray kids 2 yrs old and up as part of a routine exam. If we don't follow, we need to sign a waive form. Our previous dentist in NYC doesn't do it till they are 6 yrs old. I don't know why it is needed as there are no signs of cavity. I know that the x-ray give them better pictures. I didn't recall having any x-ray till I was much older and my teeth are fine.

Any thoughts/experience?

[soon2b4]

The dentist we see offered it at 4 or 4.5 year appointment, but it is one of those machines that circles around you... That freaked DD1 out, so we did not have 1st one until 5.5 or 6 year appt.
The dentist was never worried about it, just offered it to her if she felt ready for it. We never had to sign anything, and it was handled as No Big Deal. I like that the dentist would offer it to DD, rather than just talking to me about it.
Just for reference, we all see the same dentist - DH, DD, and I. And IMO, 2 is a bit early, I would want some more information as to their reasoning for it.

[scrooks]

I don't exactly know what it standard at our dentist but DD has gone 3 times for checkups and they have yet to even mention an xray. She is 3.5.

[lalasmama]

DD's pediatric dentist does regular, traditional xrays at 3. He does the panaramic view at 7.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Looks like it will be around 3.5-4yo at the ped. dentist. Before that the teeth weren't touching. My experience with ds1 taught me that cavities tend to start between the teeth and only become visible when they have gotten really bad. I would much rather risk an x-ray and catch a potential problem before it becomes a big deal. Ds1's first dentist didn't do x-rays till 6yo. 5.5 is when all heck broke loose and we had a cavity, root canal and eventually an extraction.

Beth

[Canna]

DD#1 is 6 and has been seeing her ped. dentist since she was 2 and has never had any xrays. They have never brought it up at all.

[Jo]

I took our kids to the first pediatric dentist appt at 2.5 and 6 months old. DD didn't even have teeth and they took xrays, head measurments, etc.

[daphne]

DS had his 1st xrays around age 4, I'm pretty sure. I know he had x-rays at his last appt, when he was 5.5 and I'm thinking he's had them once before...

[vludmilla]

Our ped dentist recommended it for DD who was 4.5 at the time. She didn't insist on it, just recommended it.

[maestramommy]

Wow OP that seems really early! I asked at the kids last appt, and they said they tend to wait til the kid is at least 6 because their mouths are so tiny it's really hard to get the film in there, assuming you could persuade the kid to open their mouth AND bite down on the film.

But after an article I read in the NYT and a conversation with a radiologist friend, I intend to keep xrays from the kids mouths as long as possible.