How important is it to splurge for the x-rays at the dentist (I think she called them bite-wing x-rays)? I'm going for a regular checkup and haven't been there in a long time, and nothing in my mouth is bothering me. Do I need to do it?

Yes. Better safe than sorry.

What do you think a "check up" is?
How is the dentist supposed to know if you have cavities without doing X-Rays? Unless you wait until your teeth are half rotted.....

absolutely. it's important to have updated dental records.
if you haven't been in a while, insurance usually covers x-rays.

My dentist does bitewings annually. They help to determine depth of cavities and if there are any looming which you may not know about. Better safe than sorry, most especially if it's covered by insurance.

I did it and it wasn't covered by insurance. AFAIK, they didn't find anything BH. But of course, had I not taken them, there would've been something there...