Dental X-rays (radiographs) allow dentists to see parts of your teeth and jaw that are completely invisible during a visual exam — including cavities between teeth, bone levels, tooth roots, cysts, and developing teeth in children. Without X-rays, a significant amount of dental disease would be missed entirely until it becomes painful and expensive to treat.
Types of Dental X-Rays
Bitewing X-rays are the most common. A sensor or film is held between the upper and lower teeth, capturing the crowns of adjacent teeth and the bone between them. Bitewings are excellent for detecting cavities between teeth and monitoring bone loss from gum disease. Most adults have bitewings taken annually.
Periapical X-rays capture the entire tooth from crown to root tip and the surrounding bone. Used to investigate a specific tooth — assessing an abscess, root fracture, or bone loss around a particular tooth.
Panoramic X-rays use a rotating arm to capture the entire mouth — all teeth, both jaws, sinuses, and TMJ — in a single image. Used to plan orthodontic treatment, assess wisdom teeth, check jaw development in children, and get an overview before implant planning.
CBCT (Cone Beam CT) produces a 3D image of the teeth and jaw. Used primarily for implant planning, complex root canal cases, and evaluation of bone structure.
How Often Do You Need X-Rays?
The American Dental Association recommends that frequency be based on individual risk, not a fixed schedule. Adults at low risk for cavities and gum disease may only need bitewing X-rays every two to three years. Those with a history of frequent cavities, dry mouth, or gum disease may benefit from annual bitewings. A full series (covering all teeth) is typically recommended every three to five years for adults.
Children may need X-rays more often because their teeth and jaws are developing rapidly and cavities progress faster in primary and newly erupted teeth.
Is Radiation from Dental X-Rays a Risk?
Modern digital dental X-rays use extremely low radiation doses — a full set of four bitewing X-rays delivers approximately 0.005 millisieverts (mSv) of radiation. For comparison, you receive about 0.3 mSv of background radiation from the environment every day just living on Earth. A cross-country flight delivers more radiation than a full dental X-ray series. The diagnostic benefit of dental X-rays far outweighs the negligible radiation risk for essentially all patients.
Lead aprons and thyroid collars are still commonly used as an extra precaution, particularly for children and pregnant patients.
Questions to Ask About Your X-Rays
If your dentist recommends X-rays and you want to understand why: ask which type of X-ray is being taken and what specifically they are looking for. Ask when your last X-rays were taken and why new ones are needed now. A good dentist will welcome these questions and explain their reasoning. Refusing X-rays entirely makes it significantly harder for your dentist to provide thorough care — consider the tradeoffs if you're concerned.