Many people put off X-rays at the dentist office because they are afraid of the radiation, but the truth is there is less radiation in a modern X-rays than there in in a number of everyday items and activities.
For example, eating a banana will expose you to natural radiation through a vitamin called potassium. Eating a few bananas will ultimately expose you to more radiation than a single X-ray. This is also true for standing in the sun for a few minutes and taking a short plane ride. Both of which expose you to several times more radiation than a full set of X-rays at the dentist.
Recent technology has allowed for dental x-rays to cut down 90% of the original omitted radiation from older film-based X-rays . There are also principles in place to reduce radiation, this being the ALARA principle. This stands for, “As Low As Reasonably Achievable.”
This makes it so X-rays are only taken when necessary to treatment or diagnosis, never without purpose. The advances in technology have also allowed dentists to see imaging more clearly to diagnose and treat problems earlier.
Dental X-rays have minimal radiation that is controlled and allows more benefits than it does harm. X-rays are helpful modern technology that helps keep you healthy.