Exposure to all sources of radiation (including the sun, minerals in the soil, home appliances, and dental X-rays) can damage body tissues and cells and lead to cancer. Fortunately, the amount of radiation you touch during X-ray exposure is very small.
Advances in dentistry over the years have led to low radiation levels of dental X-ray emissions. Some of these improvements are new digital X-ray machines that confine the radiation beam to small areas of the X-ray. Higher-speed X-ray films require shorter exposure times to obtain the same results as older film speeds. And use a film holder that holds the film in the mouth (to prevent the film from slipping and requiring repeated X-rays and additional radiation exposure). In addition, the use of lead-lined full-body aprons protects the body from stray radiation (although this is almost absent from modern dental X-ray machines). In addition, federal law requires that the X-ray machine's accuracy be checked once every two years, and some states need more frequent inspections.
