X-rays use very low doses of radiation to produce images. In high doses, radiation can have devastating health consequences for people. However, experts have determined that the radiation dose used in dental x-rays is so low that it does not pose a health risk. In fact, the radiation associated with a single dental x-ray is much lower than the cumulative radiation people are exposed to every year from sources such as the sun, airplane travel, minerals in the soil and certain home appliances (e.g., smoke detectors, televisions).

Experts generally agree that the risk of leaving a dental condition undiagnosed and untreated is far greater than the risk associated with exposure to radiation from dental x-rays.

However, patients should be aware that even tiny amounts of radiation can damage cells, and that this damage accumulates over time with each additional dose. For this reason, dentists are careful to use the x-ray process judiciously and employ special precautions to protect the patient.

For example, dentists limit the scope of the x-ray beam to the precise area to be photographed. This process, called collimation, limits the amount of radiation that scatters to other areas of the body. Improved technology has also reduced the risk associated with x-rays. The speed of film used in dental x-rays has increased, meaning that less exposure is needed to obtain a good x-ray. Patients may also wear lead shields or lead thyroid collars that block x-rays from penetrating between their chest and knees. However, the lack of radiation scatter associated with today’s x-ray machines makes these shields far less important than they were in the past.

Federal law requires all x-ray machines to be professionally inspected for accuracy and safety every two years, and some states require even more frequent checks.

Eventually, it is anticipated that most x-ray procedures will be performed using digital radiography. This process reduces radiation by as much as 80 percent.