are dental x-rays dangerous?
Dental x-rays on the slowest speed film deliver about 4 mrem of radiation. Most dentists use faster film and the actual exposure to radiation is reduced by a factor of 2-4. A full-mouth series using the slow speed film would expose one to about 72 mrem. Background radiation from the world you live in will expose you to about 1 mrem a day.* In a year, you’re exposed to about 5 times what you’ll be exposed to in your annual dental exam. Of course, your whole body is exposed to background radiation and at a slower rate than in the dentist’s chair, while only a small area of tissue is affected by a dental x-ray. Many states and the federal government consider 5,000 mrem a year to be the maximum safe occupational limit. For more details, click here. News about Richard Dawkins I was wondering how Richard Dawkins was going to appear at TAM London and at the Atheist Alliance Conference in Los Angeles during the first weekend of October. News from Phil Plait, president of the JREF, is that Dawk
