Are Dental X-Rays Safe? Why Dentists Take Them

Is it really necessary to get an X-ray every time you’re at the dentist? And are they actually safe? Both are fair questions, and we hear them often.

Here’s dental X-rays explained simply: yes, they’re safe, and yes, we need them.

Two leading professional groups support this. The American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry both consider dental X-rays safe when used properly.

We’ve also moved to digital dental X-rays at our dental practice, which use even less radiation than the old film versions while still protecting your oral health the way a full exam should.

Why Dentists Take X-Rays

A visual exam only shows us the surface. We can see the outside of a tooth just fine, but not what’s happening between teeth, below the gumline, or inside the bone itself. That’s the part X-rays fill in, the part we simply can’t see otherwise.

X-rays show us what a visual exam can’t, like tooth decay between teeth, bone loss from gum disease, or unusual changes in bone or tissue worth monitoring. It doesn’t come up often, but when it does, catching these dental problems early makes all the difference.

Here’s what we’re actually looking for:

• Tooth decay forming between teeth, before it hurts or shows
• Bone loss and other problems below the gumline
• Permanent teeth developing underneath, including crowding, impaction, or wisdom teeth coming in at an angle
• Any unusual changes in the bone or tissue that are worth keeping an eye on

Catching any of these early almost always makes treatment simpler. That’s why we treat X-rays as a core part of your exam, not a routine add-on.

 

How Much Radiation Is in a Dental X-Ray? 

Not much. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission puts the average American’s total yearly radiation exposure, combining natural background sources and medical care, at around 620 millirem.

Radiation doses vary by X-ray type and how many images we need. A single dental X-ray image adds about 1.5 millirem, a chest X-ray is about 10 millirem, and a full-body CT is closer to 1,000.

The radiation from routine dental X-rays is genuinely small, and the levels only climb if we need a broader picture, like a panoramic X-ray, which still stays well within a safe range.

To put these X-ray exposures in perspective, it’s roughly what you’d pick up flying coast to coast, since a few hours at cruising altitude exposes you to cosmic radiation too. Even a banana carries a trace of natural radioactivity, from the potassium in it, enough that health physicists half-jokingly call this a “banana equivalent dose” and use it as a casual reference point.

None of these are dangerous. The point is that a dental X-ray adds a sliver to a radiation dose you’re already picking up just by living your life, eating, and getting on the occasional plane.

Types of Dental X-Rays

Not every visit needs the same type of X-ray. Depending on what we’re checking, we might use:

• Bitewings show the crowns of your teeth and the bone around them. They’re our go-to for catching decay between teeth.
• Periapicals capture a full tooth, from root to crown.
• An occlusal X-ray images a whole arch at once, so we can see how your teeth fit together.
• Panoramic X-rays give us a wide view of the entire mouth and jaw, and we often use them to monitor wisdom teeth before they come in.
• Cephalometric X-rays show the jaw and teeth in profile, which comes in handy for orthodontic planning.
• For more complex cases, we’ll use a cone beam CT scan, also called CBCT, which builds a full 3D image.

We choose based on what we need to see, not by default.

Do You Still Need a Lead Apron for X-Rays? 

You may notice we don’t always drape a lead apron or thyroid collar over you anymore. That’s on purpose. Back in February 2024, the ADA updated its radiography safety recommendations and said shielding is no longer necessary with modern digital equipment.

Honestly, the dose is so low it barely makes a difference either way. Sometimes the apron even blocks the image, and then we have to retake it.

We still keep them on hand, though. It’s less about medical necessity and more about comfort; plenty of people just feel better with one on. If you’d rather skip it, that’s fine with us.

Dental X-Ray FAQs 

I had an MRI (or another scan) recently. Do I still need a dental X-ray?

Yes. MRIs don’t involve radiation, and even scans that do, like a chest X-ray, have nothing to do with your teeth. Each type of X-ray is answering a completely different question.

Do dental X-rays cause cancer?

There’s no evidence linking the very low doses used in routine dental X-rays to increased cancer risk, especially with digital equipment. We also stick to the ALARA principle, as low as reasonably achievable, so we only take what we actually need.

What if my teeth feel fine? Do I still need X-rays?

We’ll always explain why we’re recommending one, and if you’d rather not, we can talk about it. But many of the things X-rays catch, like tooth decay between teeth, have zero symptoms until they grow into something bigger, so they’re one of the best tools we have for catching problems while they’re still small. 

Dental X-Ray Care in Summit, NJ 

Curious what our approach to imaging actually looks like day to day, or ready to protect your family’s dental health with a full exam? Summit Dental Partners in Summit, NJ is happy to walk you through it, and you can request an appointment whenever works for you.