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Why Dental X-Rays Are Safer Than You Think (And Why We Still Limit Them)

Updated: Dec 28, 2025

A new year often means a fresh start, and for many people, that includes a checkup at the dentist! Dental x-rays are a routine part of most exams. If you come in with a concern, an x-ray is often one of the first tools we use to find the cause.


Are Dental X-rays (aka Radiographs) Safe?


The answer is YES, they are safe: Dental x-rays use very low levels of radiation. Also, we use them for a clear clinical reason. However, we still limit how often we take them, and that's on purpose. To find out more, continue on this post!


What Dental X-Rays Are Actually Used For


Dental x-rays play an important role in routine dental care. They help us find problems that we cannot see during a visual exam. Here are some of the uses:

  • Cavities between teeth: See the figure below - the naked eye can't see what's going on here!

    • Note: in kids, if all the primary teeth (baby teeth) have significant spaces in between, X-rays may not be necessary, but your dentist will be the best judge of that.


  • Bone levels and gum disease: yearly x-rays help us to monitor the bone health (i.e. is the bone level staying consistent, or decreasing?)

  • Infections/Abscesses: if you have a toothache, an x-ray can often show evidence of it, like a dark area around the root. This often helps us plan your treatment!

  • Monitoring Growth and Development: in kids, we can see adult teeth on a panoramic x-ray and it can help guide future treatment options (e.g. braces).

  • Checking existing dental work: An x-ray can help your dentist assess the quality of dental work and identify any issues that might be present.



How Much Radiation Are We Talking About?



Dental x-rays expose you to very small amounts of radiation. For example, 4 bite-wing x-rays, which is common during your check-up, exposes you to less radiation than a 1-way flight from Edmonton to Vancouver! That same set of x-rays is roughly equal to 1 day of natural background radiation.


What About the Lead Apron?

The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) no longer requires lead aprons during x-rays. Modern dental X-rays are digital, and have such low radiation that lead aprons aren't necessary. That said, we still offer lead aprons at Burnewood Dental for patient comfort and reassurance.


Why Dental X-Rays Feel Riskier Than They Are


Dental X-rays feel riskier than they are because of negative associations. The word “radiation” can sound scary. Many people associate it with CT scans or cancer treatment. It’s completely understandable to feel hesitant about dental x-rays.


As we mentioned previously, the risk of harm is related to the dosage. As an example, one abdominal CT scan exposes a patient to roughly 1,500-2000 bite-wing dental x-rays, which helps put the very low dosage of dental imaging into perspective. So, you need not worry, as your radiation dosage from regular dental x-rays is quite low.


Why We Still Limit X-Rays (Even Though They're Safe)



At Burnewood Dental, we aim to use the minimum amount of x-rays to support our treatment plans, helping us see what is invisible to the naked eye. We treat dental x-rays like any other prescribed care. We only recommend them when there is a clear medical reason.


We decide when to take x-rays based on age, cavity risk, dental history, symptoms, and past images. If it can be reasonably assumed that nothing has changed, repeating x-rays doesn't add value. However, 12-month intervals are typically recommended for bite-wing x-rays during a recall examination. This is because we can't reasonably assume nothing has changed in between teeth in the past year.


Also, for pregnant patients, we recommend delaying elective treatment (e.g. a small filling, crown, veneer) until after the pregnancy. We may still take x-rays during a dental emergency in pregnancy, but we keep them to an absolute minimum.


X-Rays vs "Just Watching It"


During an exam, your dentist can only clinically see the outer portions of your tooth. Routine x-rays provide your dentist with "seeing the unseen", and sometimes this can confirm that nothing needs to be done. "Just watching it" can be appropriate in some instances, for example if all sides of your tooth are visible clinically (e.g. if it's a lone standing molar).


X-rays are a diagnostic tool, not a treatment trigger. It gives us another important piece of the puzzle to determine the best treatment plan for our patients.


What We Do At Burnewood Dental



At our office in South Edmonton, we pride ourselves on providing evidence-based care. We use digital x-rays, and follow the minimal usage principles mentioned above. We only take x-rays when they are clinically useful, and will happily explain why an x-ray is recommended.



Takeaways


  • Dental x-rays are very low doses of radiation, and are completely safe when clinically useful

  • They are used to see what visual examinations can't see (e.g. in between teeth)

  • Limiting unnecessary x-rays is a part of good care.

  • Questions about the validity of x-rays are reasonable


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Comments

This post is just another example of the expertise, passion and commitment the Burnewood office has for your dental health. If you liked what you saw, call 780-440-4800 to book an appointment or, book online.

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