The aim of this study was to determine what the approach of Dutch dentists is in the treatment of children. Prevention, X-ray diagnostics and restorative care were compared in four consecutive age groups (< 6 years old, 6-8, 9-11, 12-17 years). After receiving the approval of the committee on medical ethics, the insurance claims of 4,550 dentists over a period of 3 consecutive years were studied. On the basis of the results it appeared that dentists who made use of X-rays for children younger than 6 provided 2.8 times more restorative care for those children than dentists who did not make use of X-rays. In the subsequent age groups, respectively 2.2, 2.0 and 1.6 times more restorative care was provided by dentists. The first group of dentists also made more X-rays in the subsequent age groups: 3,7, 3,4 en 1,9 times respectively. On the basis of these results it can be concluded that the use of X-rays for children younger than 6 is predictive for the quantity of care provided by dentists for the older groups of children.