What are the risks of using sand?

DEATH!

When using sand, one of the main concerns is impaction. (If you are unsure of what impaction is, this article explains it http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/impaction/ Bearded dragons lick everything, as this is their way of exploring their environment. Every time they lick the ground, they will ingest some sand. Also, if they are fed on sand, they can get a mouth full of it when they eat their bugs. Sand can also get into their eyes and cause eye infections and respitatory issues if they breathe it in.