Is there a risk of radiation exposure from having regular mammograms?
The risk of harm from radiation exposure is extremely small, and the risk decreases significantly as a woman ages. The actual exposure of radiation during a mammogram is about equivalent to that of having a dental exam. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates that mammograms not exceed 2 rads (radiation absorbed dose), the unit of measure for radiation exposure. Most mammograms actually deliver a small fraction of that amount and a woman must carefully weigh the risks of not having mammograms against that of this small radiation exposure.
