I am diligent to take my children to visit the dentist every six months, even though we don’t have a lot of money. One thing that troubles me is the fact that they insist on x-rays every single visit. My insurance only covers it once a year. If it was necessary, I would think that they’d cover it twice. Is it that important or can I skip the next ones?

Mallory F. – New Hampshire

Mallory,

I wouldn’t say that x-rays every six months are necessary, with the exception of a high risk patient.  If you have a child that has a greater than normal chance of developing a cavity, based on genetics or habits, it would be appropriate to do x-rays at every six months. Other than that, every year would be more the norm.

I’d talk to your pediatric dentist about your concern.  It may be he’s noticed something about your children’s teeth that make him extra cautious. Barring that, I’d just tell him you’d prefer to only do the x-rays once a year.

It’s always difficult making ends meet, especially when you have children, so any way you can save some money and still carry out your child’s best interest, is helpful.

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