A 32-year-old member asked:
Do dental x-rays cause mouth cancer?
4 doctor answers • 16 doctors weighed in

Dr. Gurmukh Singhanswered
Pathology 51 years experience
Unlikely: While there may be a theoretical increase in risk, the radiation used in usual dental x-rays is not likely to increase the risk of oral cancer.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Willis Hardestyanswered
Dentistry 30 years experience
No: Radiation exposure is a cumulative effect on a human body. Dental radiographs use low doses of radiation to allow the dentist to see in between the teeth and diagnose otherwise undetectable decay. If proper precautions are followed, radiation exposure from dental radiographs is not a source of mutation in mouth cancers.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Louis Galliaanswered
Surgery - Oral & Maxillofacial 47 years experience
No: No evidence. Radiation effects are cumulative. Have dental xrays that are necessary. Avoid those that are not necessary.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
896 viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Robert Douglasanswered
Orthodontics 53 years experience
Dose too Low: The X-ray exposure from a dental film is about what you get from the sun in an hour at the beach. Mouth cancer is usually caused by excessive smoking, drinking chewing tobacco or other long term abuse of your mouth. Rarely from other causes but never from dental X-rays.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
893 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Mar 12, 2020
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