Even though using a digital x-ray has its advantages, it can also increase the dose given to a patient if the image quality is too high. You can try to avoid unnecessary exposure to a patient by ensuring that x-rays take the necessary amount of time each year and taking them accurately. Getting into the habit of taking an x-ray may not be the best solution, because each patient's mouth is not the same as the last, you will want to treat each patient differently. “A complete series of 18 dental x-rays produces 27 times less radiation than a lower gastrointestinal series and 20 times less radiation than a year of normal background radiation from the environment.” When radiation dose is mentioned, one often wonders what, well, does that mean. A radiation dose is the amount of energy absorbed by the human body when an x-ray is taken. The amount of energy that can be absorbed by the body can become dangerous and damaging to a person, causing lifelong effects such as liver cancer or perhaps even a