Answer to Question #13391 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Medical and Dental Patient Issues — Dental

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

Q

Before I knew I was pregnant, I had a full series of digital dental x rays. Does this increase the risk of disease for the baby in the future?

A

Congratulations on your pregnancy. I want to reassure you that there is no risk to the baby from the dental x rays you had. The dose from modern dental digital x rays is very low, and the baby was not in the images, so the baby would not have received any radiation that is different from the natural background radiation to which we are all exposed to every day. 

Deirdre H. Elder, MS, CHP, CMLSO

Answer posted on 27 March 2020. The information posted on this web page is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may affect the applicability of concepts, materials, and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice. To the best of our knowledge, answers are correct at the time they are posted. Be advised that over time, requirements could change, new data could be made available, and Internet links could change, affecting the correctness of the answers. Answers are the professional opinions of the expert responding to each question; they do not necessarily represent the position of the Health Physics Society.