Expert: Benjamin Schwartz, DDS FAGD - 11/4/2008

Question
Hello,
Please can you tell me the radiation dose received during an intraoral x-ray using digital technology and how that compares to traditional x-rays.

Thank you.

Answer
Hi Neli,

Radiation dosage is measured in Millirems.
The yearly occupational dosage limit is 5000 Mrems.

Traditional xrays, using the slowest speed would average about 70 Mrems. Using digital xrays, that number is cut to about half.

Most people receive 360 Mrems just from the environment and the surrounding antenna waves, etc. That's a yearly accumulation, without seeing a dentist or doctor for xrays! Traveling on an airplane from NY to CA would expose you to more radiation than a digital intra-oral series!

Digital radiography minimizes the amount of radiation you receive. In addition, being digital allows your doctor to enlarge, or colorize parts of the image to gain a better view of what is actually happening in your mouth.

I hope this information helps.

Please let me know if you have any questions.