Are radiation levels in dental x-rays harmful?

Dental X-rays play a key role in oral health as they enable a dentist to review their patients’ oral health and identify underlying problems related to their teeth, jaw and soft tissues of the mouth. They also assist in providing an accurate diagnosis which means all appropriate treatment options can be discussed with patients.

But one thing every patient wants to know is: are dental X-rays safe?

We often have discussions with patients regarding their concerns about radiation exposure when having their dental x-rays. Many patients are concerned about excessive radiation exposure, however radiation exposure associated with dentistry represents a minor contribution to the total exposure from all sources, including natural and man-made.

Fortunately, with advances in technology and the introduction of digital dental x-rays, radiation levels are very minimal. In fact, there are several other activities that we often engage in that have far more radiation than dental x-rays. These include watching television, using mobile phones, smart watches, and microwaves – all these things made our lives easier, safer and more enjoyable – we think the same can be said for dental x-rays! Dental X-rays can help diagnose disease and pathology which means less toothaches and unknown problems, and better preventative care to ensure the long lasting health of your teeth and mouth!

Before COVID when everyone was still travelling on airplanes, a short trip of 1-2 hours on an airplane would expose you to the same amount of radiation in your dental x-rays if you had 4 x-rays per year. We recommend screening x-rays based on an individual risk assessment but on average this is usually every 2 years, unless otherwise indicated by your oral health needs. This means, the radiation exposure in our practice is far less than if you took a quick trip to Sydney and back for a long weekend!

So next time you’re considering skipping your routine dental x-rays because you’re concerned about radiation exposure – consider the long-term effects to your oral health and what might be missed if you don’t have them taken!