Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow X-Rays WorkWhat They DetectTypesRisksFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How X-Rays Work
What They Detect
Types
Risks
Frequently Asked Questions
You are probably familiar with dentalX-raysfrom your trips to the dentist over the years. But what is the purpose of these X-rays, and why do we need them? Dentists use dental X-rays (radiographs) to diagnose dental disease or damage that is not visible on a clinical oral examination. These X-rays indicate recommendations for treatment that your dentist may or may not make.
Learn more about dental X-rays, how they work, what they detect, and the risks associated with them.
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During your dental X-ray, a small amount of electromagnetic radiation is used to create an X-ray image of your teeth, roots, gums, jaw, and facial bones.
Frequency of Dental X-rays
Dental X-rays can detect various abnormalities in your oral health, including early detection of dental issues that weren’t found on a visual oral exam. This is useful, as your dentist can recommend certain treatments (for example, braces, implants, orwisdom teeth removal) based on your results.
Some of the things your dentist will examine in your dental X-rays include:
In children and young adults, dentists also look for the presence (including number and size) of the teeth that have not yet grown in. This includes the adult teeth,wisdom teeth, or molars. They also look at the spacing within the jaw to determine how and if the adult teeth will fit when they grow in.
How to Tell If You Have a Cavity
Dentists use different types of dental X-rays to examine different aspects of your oral health. Some types are better suited than others for what your dentist is assessing.
The main types of dental X-rays include:
Why Does Your Dentist Need to Take Dental X-Rays?
Radiation
The 2024 ADA guideline updates on radiation safety note that radiation exposure associated with dental X-rays is minimal, but it can be cumulative across a lifetime.The importance of these images in dental care is balanced with acceptable risk and protection measures.
During your dental X-ray, the technician may place a lead apron, and often a thyroid collar, on you. This protects your organs from minimal radiation they do not need to be exposed to. However, the ADA no longer recommends this intervention as necessary, especially because digital imaging options are available.
Dental professionals adhere to the “as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA)” principle when using X-rays and imaging in dentistry, including higher-dose cone beamcomputed tomography(CBCT). The ALARA principle has been in place since 1977.
A 2023 report from the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) estimates some 320 million dental images occurred during 2016, the year assessed in the United States.They accounted for about 46% of diagnostic images, with dental images typically using lower radiation doses than imaging tests for other kinds of conditions.
Lead Aprons Are No Longer Necessary for Dental X-Rays
Pregnancy
However, ACOG continues to recommend shielding of the abdomen and thyroid in pregnant people even though it may not be necessary in all populations.And the ADA recommends that dental professionals who are pregnant continue to wear protective gear when taking X-ray images in patients.
If you are pregnant, talk to your dentist about whether you should undergo dental X-rays. You will likely make a decision together based on the risks and benefits of your unique situation.
Meningioma and Thyroid Cancer
There is a large body of research examining the relationship between dental X-rays andmeningioma(brain or spinal cord tumor) orthyroid cancer.
A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis of previous studies found that exposure to multiple dental X-rays across the lifetime is associated with an increase in the risk of thyroid cancer and meningioma.
However, the study notes that the recent widespread adoption of thyroid collars during dental X-rays, study biases, and lack of evidence may influence the applicability of results.Still, the authors recommended reducing diagnostic radiation exposure as much as possible.
What It’s Like to Go to the Dentist During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Summary
Dentists use different types of dental radiographs (X-rays) to identify oral damage or disease that they cannot view during a clinical examination. Using these X-rays, they can provide early diagnosis and recommend the most appropriate treatment. There are some risks associated with X-rays because of the radiation, but the benefits of identifying oral disease early outweigh the risk.
A Word From Verywell
Dental X-rays are an important part of keeping healthy. They are fast and painless, but if you do experience discomfort, you can ask your technician to make adjustments. If you have any concerns about the risks of dental X-rays, discuss it with your dentist. They can explain the reasons for and frequency of X-rays, as well as the steps they take to keep you safe and limit radiation exposure.
Frequently Asked QuestionsThere isn’t an exact number of dental X-rays that are safe to have done in one day. Your dentist will follow the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principles of justifying the need for X-rays, and reducing exposure to X-ray radiation.
There isn’t an exact number of dental X-rays that are safe to have done in one day. Your dentist will follow the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principles of justifying the need for X-rays, and reducing exposure to X-ray radiation.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.The selection of patients for dental radiographic examinations.MedlinePlus.Dental x-rays.Benavides E, Krecioch JR, Connolly RT, Allareddy T, Buchanan A, Spelic D,et al.Optimizing radiation safety in dentistry: Clinical recommendations and regulatory considerations.J Am Dent Assoc. 2024 Apr;155(4):280-293.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2023.12.002.Mahesh M, Ansari AJ, Mettler FA Jr.Patient Exposure from Radiologic and Nuclear Medicine Procedures in the United States and Worldwide: 2009-2018.Radiology. 2023 Apr;307(1):e221263. doi: 10.1148/radiol.221263.Mark AM.Dental care during pregnancy.JADA. 2018;149(11). doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2018.09.006American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Oral Health Care During Pregnancy and Through the Lifespan.Memon A, Rogers I, Paudyal P, Sundin J.Dental X-rays and the risk of thyroid cancer and meningioma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of current epidemiological evidence.Thyroid. 2019;29(11):1572-1593. doi:10.1089/thy.2019.0105
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.The selection of patients for dental radiographic examinations.MedlinePlus.Dental x-rays.Benavides E, Krecioch JR, Connolly RT, Allareddy T, Buchanan A, Spelic D,et al.Optimizing radiation safety in dentistry: Clinical recommendations and regulatory considerations.J Am Dent Assoc. 2024 Apr;155(4):280-293.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2023.12.002.Mahesh M, Ansari AJ, Mettler FA Jr.Patient Exposure from Radiologic and Nuclear Medicine Procedures in the United States and Worldwide: 2009-2018.Radiology. 2023 Apr;307(1):e221263. doi: 10.1148/radiol.221263.Mark AM.Dental care during pregnancy.JADA. 2018;149(11). doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2018.09.006American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Oral Health Care During Pregnancy and Through the Lifespan.Memon A, Rogers I, Paudyal P, Sundin J.Dental X-rays and the risk of thyroid cancer and meningioma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of current epidemiological evidence.Thyroid. 2019;29(11):1572-1593. doi:10.1089/thy.2019.0105
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.The selection of patients for dental radiographic examinations.MedlinePlus.Dental x-rays.Benavides E, Krecioch JR, Connolly RT, Allareddy T, Buchanan A, Spelic D,et al.Optimizing radiation safety in dentistry: Clinical recommendations and regulatory considerations.J Am Dent Assoc. 2024 Apr;155(4):280-293.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2023.12.002.Mahesh M, Ansari AJ, Mettler FA Jr.Patient Exposure from Radiologic and Nuclear Medicine Procedures in the United States and Worldwide: 2009-2018.Radiology. 2023 Apr;307(1):e221263. doi: 10.1148/radiol.221263.Mark AM.Dental care during pregnancy.JADA. 2018;149(11). doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2018.09.006American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Oral Health Care During Pregnancy and Through the Lifespan.Memon A, Rogers I, Paudyal P, Sundin J.Dental X-rays and the risk of thyroid cancer and meningioma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of current epidemiological evidence.Thyroid. 2019;29(11):1572-1593. doi:10.1089/thy.2019.0105
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.The selection of patients for dental radiographic examinations.
MedlinePlus.Dental x-rays.
Benavides E, Krecioch JR, Connolly RT, Allareddy T, Buchanan A, Spelic D,et al.Optimizing radiation safety in dentistry: Clinical recommendations and regulatory considerations.J Am Dent Assoc. 2024 Apr;155(4):280-293.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2023.12.002.
Mahesh M, Ansari AJ, Mettler FA Jr.Patient Exposure from Radiologic and Nuclear Medicine Procedures in the United States and Worldwide: 2009-2018.Radiology. 2023 Apr;307(1):e221263. doi: 10.1148/radiol.221263.
Mark AM.Dental care during pregnancy.JADA. 2018;149(11). doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2018.09.006
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Oral Health Care During Pregnancy and Through the Lifespan.
Memon A, Rogers I, Paudyal P, Sundin J.Dental X-rays and the risk of thyroid cancer and meningioma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of current epidemiological evidence.Thyroid. 2019;29(11):1572-1593. doi:10.1089/thy.2019.0105
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