Practical
Are dental X-rays safe?
Yes. The radiation dose is genuinely tiny, and modern equipment has trimmed it lower still. We don't take them on autopilot — only when they'll tell us something useful, like decay hidden between teeth.
How small is the dose, really?
Dental X-rays sit right at the low end of the radiation scale. The dose from a couple of bitewing images is genuinely tiny — in the same ballpark as the background radiation you'd absorb going about a normal day or two, simply from being alive on the planet. Modern digital sensors have trimmed it lower still compared with the old film, and we shield you as a matter of routine.
So the risk from a sensible dental X-ray is very small — small enough that the useful information it gives us comfortably outweighs it, which is exactly the balance we weigh up before taking one.
Why we take them only when they earn it
We don't X-ray on autopilot or to a fixed calendar. We take an image only when it'll actually tell us something the eye can't — a cavity tucked between two teeth, a problem brewing under an old filling, the health of the bone and roots, or a tooth that hasn't come through. Used that way, X-rays help us catch things early, while they're still small and gently fixable.
How often you need one depends on you — your age, your history and how prone you are to decay. If you're pregnant or have any concerns, just tell us, and we'll postpone anything non-urgent and talk it through before we take a single image.
Common questions
How often do I need dental X-rays?
There's no fixed schedule — it depends on your age, history and decay risk. Someone with healthy teeth needs them rarely; someone more cavity-prone, more often. We take them only when they'll genuinely help.
Are dental X-rays safe if I'm pregnant?
The dose is very small and we shield you carefully, but we still postpone anything non-urgent during pregnancy where sensible. Always tell us you're expecting so we can plan around you.