Do I Really Need Dental X-Rays?
“I Don't Want Any X-Rays.”
We understand the concern.
This is mostly a financial concern, the cost of X-rays can add up fairly quickly. In addition, some patients may worry about radiation. Others wonder why they need X-rays when nothing hurts. And some have had X-rays taken at another dental office and don't want to repeat them unnecessarily.
Those are all reasonable questions and concerns.
Our philosophy at Dental Haven is simple:
We want the diagnostic information we need while avoiding X-rays we don't need. In additional we've lowered our X-ray diagnostic fees to be one of the lowest in the region. X-rays is not something we profit from, it is just a tool to help diagnosis, when needed.
Why Can't the Dentist Just Look at My Teeth?
Because there are things we simply cannot see during a visual examination.
We can examine the visible surfaces of your teeth and gums, but we cannot look through a tooth, underneath certain restorations, between some teeth, or into the bone supporting them.
Dental X-rays can provide information about decay, bone levels, infections, roots, previous dental treatment, and other conditions that may not otherwise be visible.
Does Every New Patient Need the Same X-Rays?
No.
The ADA and American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology updated their recommendations in 2026, emphasizing that dentists should perform a thorough clinical examination and review the patient's history before determining what imaging is necessary.
The decision should be based on the individual patient's clinical findings, history, disease risk, and diagnostic needs. Previous images should also be reviewed when available. [ADA – X-Rays/Radiographs]
At Dental Haven, we may use a panoramic X-ray to obtain a broad view of the teeth and surrounding structures and more detailed images when clinically appropriate.
But the exact images we need depend on you.
What About Radiation?
Radiation exposure is a legitimate consideration. Modern dental equipment and the typical office visit exposes the patient to relatively low radiation. A panoramic X-ray is about 20 µSv and a bitewing series is about 5 µSv. So a pano plus four bitewings (typical during a new patient visit) would be roughly 25 µSv total of radiation exposure. A useful comparison is average natural background radiation in the U.S., which the ADA cites at about 3.1 mSv per year. So that dental series is roughly 0.8% of one year’s natural background exposure — about what you naturally receive over roughly 3 days. [ADA – X-Rays/Radiographs]
Low radiation doesn't mean no radiation. The ADA's current recommendations emphasize using imaging only when clinically necessary and minimizing unnecessary radiation exposure - which is what we practice here at Dental Haven.
So rather than asking, “Does everyone need X-rays?” we think the better question is:
What information does my dentist need to safely diagnose and care for me?
If an X-ray is recommended, you should feel comfortable asking what your dentist is looking for and why that particular image is useful.
More X-rays aren't automatically better dentistry.
Better information is.