Are Dental X-Rays Safe? What Patients Should Know

Many patients ask whether they really need X-rays at their visit, and whether they're safe. It's a fair question. The short answer is that modern dental X-rays use very small amounts of radiation, and they let us find problems early that would otherwise go unseen until they hurt.

Why X-rays matter

An exam shows only the surfaces we can see. X-rays show what's happening:

• Between teeth, where many cavities start
• Under existing fillings and crowns
• Below the gumline, including bone loss from gum disease
• Inside the tooth, such as infections at the tip of a root
• In the jaw, including impacted wisdom teeth, cysts and developing teeth in children

Catching a small cavity between teeth on an X-ray means a small filling now instead of a root canal or crown later.

How much radiation is involved?

We're all exposed to natural background radiation every day, from the sun, the ground and even the food we eat. A set of digital bitewing X-rays (the routine images of the back teeth) delivers a dose that's roughly comparable to about a day of that natural background exposure. That's a very small dose, and lower than what you receive on an airplane flight across the country.

Digital X-rays use significantly less radiation than older film X-rays. We also follow the principle of "as low as reasonably achievable": we take only the images we need, using the lowest effective dose and a protective shield when appropriate.

Types of X-rays we use

• Bitewings show the crowns of the back teeth and are the best way to find cavities between teeth.
• Periapical X-rays show a whole tooth from crown to root tip, used to check a specific problem or a tooth that hurts.
• Panoramic X-rays show the entire mouth in one image, including the jaws, wisdom teeth and sinuses.
• 3D cone beam CT (CBCT) creates a three-dimensional view used for planning implants and surgery, evaluating impacted teeth and seeing structures like nerves and sinuses. Because it uses more radiation than a bitewing, we use it only when the extra detail will change your care.

Learn more about this equipment on our dental technology page.

How often do you need them?

There's no one-size-fits-all schedule. How often we recommend X-rays depends on your age, your risk of cavities and gum disease, and your history:

• Adults with healthy teeth and low cavity risk may need bitewings every one to two years or so.
• People with frequent cavities, gum disease, dry mouth or extensive dental work may need them more often.
• Children often need them more frequently than adults because their teeth change quickly and cavities can progress faster in baby teeth.
• New patients usually need a set to give us a baseline.

If you've had X-rays recently at another office, let us know; we may be able to have them sent over.

X-rays during pregnancy

Dental X-rays are considered safe during pregnancy when they're needed, particularly to diagnose a problem that needs treatment. Always tell us if you're pregnant. Routine X-rays are sometimes postponed until after delivery when nothing is wrong. See our post on dental care during pregnancy.

Ask us anything

You're always welcome to ask why we're recommending an X-ray and what we're looking for. Digital images appear on screen right away, so we can show you exactly what we see. New patients can start with our $199 new patient special, which includes an exam, digital X-rays and a cleaning. Request an appointment online or call Zen Family Dental at (703) 385-2772.