"We need to take some X-rays of your teeth."

This probably isn't your favorite phrase out of your dentist's mouth, but it sure beats "We need to schedule emergency root canal surgery." In fact, dental X-rays can help you avoid uncomfortable dental work. By using X-ray technology to probe inside your teeth and jaw, your dentist can identify potential problem areas before they can be seen – or felt – and take action to correct them.

Let's take a closer look at dental X-rays:

What is an X-ray?

We generally think of an X-ray as that big black piece of film with the white bones on it. It's true that this designation has made its way into general usage; however, the piece of film is technically called a radiograph, while an X-ray is actually the type of radiation that creates a radiograph.

How Do X-rays Work?

An X-ray is a kind of radiation that forms an invisible beam of energy. This beam can be projected through an object onto photographic film to produce a picture (that's the radiograph). When X-rays are pointed at humans, they mostly go right through the soft stuff (skin, muscles) and are largely absorbed into the hard stuff (bones, teeth). Only the radiation that passes all the way through makes an impression on the film. So a radiograph is basically a picture of your skeleton.

Why Does My Dentist Take X-rays of My Mouth?

Dental X-rays provide your dentist with pictures of the teeth, bones, and soft tissue in your mouth and jaw. These pictures can reveal decay, bone loss, fractures, impacted teeth, tumors, and other hidden factors that can adversely affect your oral health. With the assistance of X-rays, your dentist is able to prescribe treatment or preventive measures that can help you avoid discomfort, tooth loss, gum disease, and other problems – and also save you time and money.

Many dentists take routine X-rays every few years to check for proper growth of teeth and to detect any problem areas that don't yet exhibit symptoms. X-rays are also taken to plan in advance for treatments such as root canal surgery, implant placement, and tooth extraction. Check with your dentist to determine how often you need X-rays taken.

Is There Any Risk Associated with Dental X-rays?

As with any type of exposure to radiation, there is a slight risk of damage to cells or tissue. However, oral health professionals are trained to provide X-rays with as little exposure as possible. Prior to any X-rays, your body is covered with a lead-filled garment (called an "apron") to keep away any rays that might stray from the targeted area. Pregnant women are encouraged to wait until after giving birth to have X-rays taken, except in cases of dental emergency.

Radiation levels associated with dental X-rays are extremely low – not much higher than the normal amount of background radiation you receive every day from the sun and household appliances such as your TV and smoke detector. For example, a typical type of dental X-ray called a "panoramic" (one big picture of both jaws) involves radiation exposure that is roughly the same as three days worth of normal background radiation. The bottom line is that any risk of damage from dental X-rays is miniscule compared with the lifelong benefits of maintaining good oral health.