When it comes to pediatric patients in our dental practices, we have an obligation to both them and the future of their dentistry. All child patients should have a panoramic x-ray taken in order to get a count of their tooth buds. In the situation where there are missing tooth buds, we can now communicate with their parents and begin to plan for solutions as they age. It is absolutely crucial that a child patient receives a panoramic x-ray at a young age, so that we can make these important decisions early on.