There is also a new digital "filmless" dental X-Ray system that is very popular, that only uses 1/10th the radiation of conventional dental X-rays. Another advantage of it is that they can blow the image up to huge sizes on their computer monitors to look at things in very fine detail, and email the X-ray to another doctor across town who you might be referred to. This is so little radiation that it should never be an issue, even to those of use that have had 7cgy of radiation or more during treatment. Where you need to look at lifetime accumulative doses, are in all the follow up CT's and PET's. That adds up over time as well. Radiation dosage is systemic and for life... But in the end I'd personally rather know that I was having a problem early, than not get the radiation and catch things late when successful treatment wasn't possible. About 3% of those radiated for oral cancer get osteosarcomas in their mandible or facial bones around year 10... not something pleasant to think about, but the percentage is low, and hey...I'd didn't think I'd be here for two years let alone ten!!!

Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.