Is it dangerous to have an xray scan without protection?!
Question:
Is it dangerous to have an xray scan without protection?
My mother went to a dentist the other day and she claimed that when they took x-rays of her mouth to look at her teeth, the nurse forgot to put the little "coat", bib-like thing over her, i was wondering if this is at all dangerous? thanks
Answers:
A standard dental x-ray film will expose you to about the same amount of radiation as taking two cross-country flights in a jet airliner (at higher altitudes, the air is very thin and you get higher exposure to cosmic radiation coming in from space). A digital x-ray will be only 1/5 that, or even less, depending on the particular system being used.
While that isn't much, it's still a good idea to minimize radiation exposure as much as possible. A lead apron is always a good idea, though thankfully not as critical as 15 years ago.