A look at dental X-ray radiation: Safety and recommendations
Dental X-rays are safe and only expose patients to low levels of radiation, even less than what an individual is exposed to in the environment, according to experts cited in a New York Times article.
Erika Benavides, D.D.S., Ph.D., a dentist as well as an oral and maxillofacial radiologist at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, was Chair of an expert panel convened by the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs that published clinical safety and regulatory recommendations in 2024 in The Journal of the American Dental Association. Dr. Benavides is quoted in The New York Times article stating that dental professionals should perform clinical examinations prior to deciding whether dental X-rays are needed to elucidate potential issues.
Dental X-rays are often employed to identify oral health issues — such as dental caries, cysts or tumors, gum disease and bone loss in their early stages — as well as image underlying permanent teeth in children. Although ionizing radiation is known to damage DNA and increase the risk of cancer, dental X-rays only expose patients to very low levels of this radiation.
The ADA and the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology updated their recommendations to say that patients do not need to wear a protective apron or thyroid-protecting collar during dental X-rays.
The ADA and AAOMR also say dental X-rays are safe for pregnant women and their fetuses, exposing them to levels up to 30,000 times lower than that needed to cause harm. For instance, bitewing X-rays and panoramic X-rays expose a patient to about five and 20 microsieverts of radiation, respectively. The experts emphasized that these levels are far lower compared with those 30 years ago.
Read more: The New York Times
The article presented here is intended to inform you about the broader media perspective on dentistry, regardless of its alignment with the ADA's stance. It is important to note that publication of an article does not imply the ADA's endorsement, agreement, or promotion of its content.