Dental X-Rays & Radiation
Your dentist can only learn a certain amount by looking directly at the teeth in your mouth. About 60% of your tooth is hidden below the gum line, and is only visible using by taking an X-Ray. A dental X-ray is taken to assess and monitor the health of your teeth, jaw, bone structure and gums to help plan treatment. It will also show if there are any problems hidden from view.
Book Online Now 
Find a Dentist Near You 
Make An Enquiry 
PRSI DENTAL ENTITLEMENTS What About Radiation?
We are all exposed to a small amount of natural background radiation every day of our lives. This radiation comes from our environment, the air we breathe, food we eat and even from outer space. X-Ray machines use a small amount of radiation to generate the “pictures” we need for your diagnosis and treatment, and to monitor your progress.
Our Standards
We are licensed by the EPA and registered with HIQA, who are the regulatory bodies for radiation protection in Ireland. Our X-Ray equipment is well maintained and regularly checked by appropriately qualified staff. This ensures that the amount of radiation we use is kept as low as possible to get the pictures we need.
Putting it in Perspective
Each dental X-ray therefore gives a very small additional amount of radiation on top of the natural background radiation, so the X-Ray you will have for diagnostic purposes carries a very low, negligible risk.
Compare radiation doses from different sources in the table below:
If you have any further questions about X-Rays or radiation, please feel free to ask your dentist who will be happy to help.
