Wait — no lead apron for my dental X-rays? Isn’t that what protects me from radiation? And is it really safe to take X-rays without one?
If you’ve been going to the dentist for a few decades, having a heavy lead apron draped over you probably feels like part of the X-ray experience. So it may be surprising to learn that the American Dental Association now recommends that lead aprons and thyroid collars no longer be routinely used for dental X-rays.
And there’s a good reason: with modern dental X-ray equipment, they provide little or no meaningful additional protection.
Today’s digital sensors require a remarkably small radiation dose. A typical set of bitewing X-rays is about 5 microsieverts (µSv).
We are all exposed to natural background radiation every day simply from living on Earth. Modern dental X-ray exposures represent only a very small addition to that normal background exposure.
The biggest improvements in radiation safety have happened at the X-ray machine itself. Modern equipment allows us to carefully limit the X-ray beam to the small area we actually need to see, while digital sensors require much less radiation than older film.
In other words, the best protection is using the smallest appropriate X-ray beam, the lowest reasonable exposure, and taking X-rays only when they are actually needed.
Not very effectively.
Most of the tiny amount of radiation reaching areas outside the mouth is scatter generated inside the patient’s own body. An apron sitting on the outside cannot meaningfully prevent that internal scatter.
There can even be a downside. If an apron or thyroid collar accidentally gets into the X-ray beam, it may obscure part of the image and potentially require us to take the X-ray again. Avoiding unnecessary repeat images is much more useful than wearing the apron in the first place.
The ADA’s updated recommendation applies to adults, children and pregnant patients. Modern dental X-ray doses are extremely low, and the focus is on taking only the images that are clinically necessary while keeping radiation exposure as low as reasonably achievable.
So if you notice that we don’t automatically reach for the familiar heavy lead apron at Park Blvd Dentistry, don’t worry — we haven’t become less careful about radiation. Quite the opposite.
And if wearing the apron simply makes you feel more comfortable, just ask! We are always happy to provide one.
Dental X-ray technology and our understanding of radiation safety have improved. The goal remains exactly the same: take the X-rays that help us care for you, avoid the ones you don’t need, and keep every exposure as low as reasonably achievable.
Sometimes better technology means we can finally retire an old tradition — although the reassuringly heavy apron is still available by request!
