Dental X-Ray Exams

Dental x-rays use very low levels of radiation, much less than that used in other medical imaging. They are done only when needed to make a diagnosis or to help your dentist make a treatment plan for you. Your dentist will use your health history, present oral health and risk for disease to decide if x-rays are necessary.

If you change dentists, you may be able to have copies of your x-ray images sent from your last dental office to your new one. If not, your new dentist may need to take x-rays to get a full picture of your oral health. This will also help your dentist create a baseline to see how your oral health may change over time.

Dental practices take steps to protect you from radiation, including:

taking x-ray images only when necessary
using the smallest x-ray dose possible
lining the beam up with care
using proper exposure and processing methods
minimizing exposure to other parts of your body, using lead thyroid collars when possible

Many dental offices use digital dental x-ray images. Benefits of digital x-rays include:

Only a small electronic sensor (digital) is needed in your mouth to capture the x-ray image.
The image from the electronic sensor is sent directly to a computer and can be viewed right away.
Digital x-ray images can be enlarged on the computer screen. This makes it much easier for you and your dentist to see the pictures.
If pictures are too light or dark, digital x-ray images can often be fixed without having to make another x-ray exposure.
The dental office can print, copy or email your digital x-ray images. They can be sent electronically to insurance companies, which may help claims be processed faster.
Digital x-rays are environmentally friendly. They do not use film and the chemicals needed to develop the film.
Digital x-ray images may require less radiation than film images.

If you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant

Tell your dentist if you are or might be pregnant. Current guidelines say it’s better for a pregnant woman to have necessary dental x-rays rather than put off having them at a later date. This is because dental disease that is not treated during pregnancy can lead to problems for you and your unborn baby.

If you have had radiation therapy for head or neck cancer

Radiation therapy to treat head or neck cancer may increase your risk of tooth decay. The dose of radiation from regular dental x-rays is very small compared to the dose used to treat cancer. It’s important to have x-ray exams as needed to find dental problems at an early stage and treat them before they get worse.