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Dental X-rays: Why, How Often and How Safe

Why dentists take X-rays, the main types from bitewings to 3-D scans, how often you need them, how much radiation is involved, and what to know if you are pregnant or it is for a child.

Updated September 2026·By the OHA editorial team·8 min read·How we write
Key takeaways
  • Dental X-rays (also called radiographs) let your dentist see problems hidden under the gums or inside the teeth, such as decay between teeth, bone loss from gum disease, infections and teeth that have not come through.
  • There is no fixed schedule. Health bodies in Australia and the US say how often you need them depends on your oral health, age and risk of disease.
  • The radiation dose from a standard dental X-ray is very low. Australian and UK figures put it at a few days' worth of natural background radiation or less.
  • 3-D scans (cone beam CT) give more information but a higher dose, so they are used for particular problems rather than routine check-ups.
  • Tell your dentist if you are or might be pregnant. Advice on routine X-rays in pregnancy differs between countries.

A dental X-ray is a picture of your teeth and jaws taken with a small amount of radiation. The Australian Dental Association says X-rays help your dentist find diseases they cannot see just by looking inside your mouth. The American Dental Association (ADA) says they can also confirm that your teeth are healthy.

Why do dentists take X-rays?

The Australian Dental Association says dental X-rays can be used to find:

  • tooth decay, including problems with past fillings and other treatment
  • bone lost from around the teeth because of severe gum disease
  • tooth and jaw fractures after an injury
  • abscesses (pockets of infection), cysts and tumours
  • how teeth are developing under the gums, and extra, missing or stuck teeth, such as wisdom teeth

X-rays also help plan treatment such as fillings and root canal treatment, implants, braces and tooth removal. If you are a new patient, the ADA says your dentist may suggest X-rays to get a baseline, so later changes can be spotted.

What types of dental X-ray are there?

The Australian Dental Association describes the main types:

  • Bitewing. Shows the surfaces between the teeth and the level of bone around them. It is the most common dental X-ray and is often part of a check-up, to look for decay and bone loss.
  • Periapical. Shows a whole tooth, including its roots and the bone around them. Often used for a sore tooth or root canal treatment.
  • Panoramic (OPG). Short for orthopantomogram, sometimes called a full-mouth X-ray. It shows all the teeth, both jaws, the jaw joints and sinuses in one image, and is often used to check tooth development and wisdom teeth or to plan braces. The Australian Dental Association says it is not recommended as the main X-ray for finding tooth decay.
  • Cone beam CT (CBCT). A scanner rotates around your head to build a 3-D image of your teeth, jaws and face. The Australian Dental Association says it is mainly used for planning complex treatment.

Not every practice has every type of equipment, so you may be referred to an X-ray clinic.

When is a 3-D scan used?

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says CBCT is used for things such as planning dental implants and diagnosing root canal problems and injuries. It says the dose is generally lower than other CT scans but typically higher than conventional dental X-rays, and that CBCT should be used only when other imaging cannot provide the information. The ADA's 2026 recommendations say there is currently no evidence for using CBCT to manage gum disease, except when planning complex cases, and that when CBCT is used for root canal problems, the smallest area needed should be scanned.

How often do you need dental X-rays?

Not at every visit. The ADA says it depends on your current oral health, your age, your risk of disease and any signs of problems. Its 2026 recommendations say X-rays should be ordered only after your dentist has looked at your medical and dental history, any previous X-rays and what they find on examination.

The Australian Dental Association says your dentist will advise how often you need bitewings, based on your current decay or gum disease, your risk of them and your past treatment.

In England, the NHS includes X-rays in the lowest charge band (Band 1) if clinically needed.

If you have had X-rays elsewhere, the ADA says a new dentist may ask for copies instead.

How much radiation is involved?

Radiation dose is measured in millisieverts (mSv) or, for very small doses, microsieverts (µSv; 1,000 µSv make 1 mSv). Everyone receives natural background radiation every day, mostly from natural radioactivity such as radon gas in homes and workplaces, according to the UK Health Security Agency.

The figures differ a little between sources, but they point the same way:

  • Australia: the Australian Dental Association puts a dental X-ray (other than CBCT) at 10 µSv or less and a dental CBCT at less than 80 µSv. For comparison it gives 4 µSv for living one day, 16 µSv for a flight from Darwin to Perth and 1,500 µSv for average yearly background radiation in Australia.
  • UK: a UK Health Security Agency comparison table (2011) gives 0.005 mSv (5 µSv) for a dental X-ray, against an average of 2.7 mSv a year from all sources in the UK. An older UK patient dose table (2008) says a single bitewing is equivalent to less than 1.5 days of natural background radiation and a panoramic X-ray to about 1.5 days.
  • US: the ADA says dental X-rays use very low doses, so the risk of harm is very small, and that doses are much lower than in the past.

The ADA and the Australian Dental Association both describe dental X-rays as safe. The ADA and the FDA still follow the principle of keeping doses as low as reasonably achievable, which is why X-rays are taken only when needed.

X-rays for children

The ADA says children and teenagers may need X-rays more often than adults because their teeth and jaws are still developing, and the Australian Dental Association says both children and adults can have dental X-rays safely.

Children are more sensitive to radiation, though. The FDA says younger patients have a higher lifetime risk per unit of dose and a longer lifetime for effects to develop, and the UK patient dose table says risks for children are about twice those for adults. The ADA's 2026 recommendations call for X-rays for children and young adults to be prescribed carefully. The FDA suggests parents ask whether the X-ray is needed and whether the clinic uses settings sized for children. See children's teeth.

X-rays in pregnancy

The NHS and healthdirect Australia say to tell the person doing any X-ray if you are or might be pregnant. After that, advice differs:

  • The Australian Dental Association says dental X-rays can be taken safely during pregnancy if you have a sore tooth or a problem, perhaps with a lead apron. Its factsheet says X-rays that are part of a routine check-up will often be delayed until after the pregnancy. If you are trying to conceive and think you may be pregnant, your dentist may delay X-rays until you know.
  • Pregnancy Birth and Baby (Australia) says X-rays are generally not recommended in pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, but that most dental X-rays are safe because the dose is very small.
  • The ADA (US) says dental X-rays are safe during pregnancy, citing the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and that they do not need to be delayed if you are trying to become pregnant or are breastfeeding.

So these sources agree that a dental X-ray you need is safe in pregnancy, but differ on whether routine X-rays should wait. See pregnancy and oral health.

How is your exposure kept low?

  • Only when needed. The FDA and ADA recommend dental X-rays, including CBCT, only when necessary for diagnosis or treatment.
  • A focused beam. The ADA says your dental team will position you carefully and aim the beam at the area of interest.
  • The dentist steps out. The Australian Dental Association says this is because dentists take many X-rays every day.
  • Lead aprons and collars. Practice varies. The ADA's 2024 recommendations say abdominal and thyroid shielding is no longer needed for any patient, including in pregnancy, because it can block the X-ray beam and lead to repeat X-rays. Some practices still use it because of local regulations. The Australian Dental Association says the national radiation safety agency's advice is that lead aprons are not routinely needed, but one may be used if you are pregnant.
When to see a dentist
  • Tell your dentist before any X-ray if you are or might be pregnant.
  • Mention any recent dental X-rays taken elsewhere.
  • Ask why an X-ray is needed and what it is looking for if you are unsure. The Australian Dental Association encourages you to ask your dentist any questions about X-rays.

Frequently asked questions

Are dental X-rays safe?

The Australian Dental Association and the ADA both say yes: the dose is very low and the risk of harm very small. They are still taken only when needed.

Do I need to wear a lead apron?

Usually not. The ADA says shielding is no longer needed, and the Australian Dental Association says aprons are not routinely needed, though one may be used in pregnancy or where local rules require it.

Why does my dentist want X-rays when my teeth feel fine?

The ADA says X-rays can reveal damage or disease not visible during an examination, such as new cavities, and healthdirect Australia mentions infections and damage to the jaw bone.

Sources

  1. Dental X-rays, Australian Dental Association, accessed September 2026
  2. Factsheet: Dental X-rays, Australian Dental Association, accessed September 2026
  3. Dental imaging (radiation exposure comparison), Australian Dental Association, accessed September 2026
  4. X-rays, American Dental Association (MouthHealthy), accessed September 2026
  5. Pregnancy and your dental health, American Dental Association (MouthHealthy), accessed September 2026
  6. New recommendations confirm dental X-rays most effectively used in moderation, American Dental Association, January 2026, accessed September 2026
  7. New ADA recommendations confirm dental imaging most effectively used in moderation, ADA News, American Dental Association, accessed September 2026
  8. Dental cone-beam computed tomography, US Food and Drug Administration, accessed September 2026
  9. Ionising radiation: dose comparisons, UK Health Security Agency (GOV.UK), accessed September 2026
  10. Patient dose information: guidance, Public Health England (GOV.UK), accessed September 2026
  11. X-ray, NHS, accessed September 2026
  12. How much NHS dental treatment costs, NHS, accessed September 2026
  13. X-rays, healthdirect Australia, accessed September 2026
  14. Dental check-up, healthdirect Australia, accessed September 2026
  15. Looking after your teeth during pregnancy, Pregnancy Birth and Baby (healthdirect Australia), accessed September 2026

This article is general information about oral health. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a dentist or doctor who knows your situation. If you have pain, swelling, bleeding that does not settle, or a problem that is getting worse, see a dental professional. In an emergency, contact your local emergency service.

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