# Lead, X-rays, and the Dental Arts

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-x-rays-and-the-dental-arts/95497>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 27, 2001, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-x-rays-and-the-dental-arts/95497 "2001-11-27T14:06:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jcgmoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@jcgmoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcgmoi)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-x-rays-and-the-dental-arts/95497/1 "2001-11-27T14:06:56Z")

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I went to the dentist yesterday for my biannual oral abuse and got an X-ray series as well. While I was being draped with the lead apron, a couple of questions came to mind.

Q1–What is the benefit of shielding my torso and nads? I did after all receive several high-energy bolts right through the head.

Q2–Why lead? What is it about lead that shields X-rays? Its mass? Is it unique among elements in its shielding properties or is it merely the cheapest solution?

Thank you in advance and don’t forget to floss.

* * *

Post like there’s no tomorrow.

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**Author:** ![SlickUSA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@SlickUSA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickUSA)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-x-rays-and-the-dental-arts/95497/2 "2001-11-27T14:10:10Z")

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The less exposure to xrays the better.  
Lead is dense enough to absorb xrays and not bounce them around the room.

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**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lead-x-rays-and-the-dental-arts/95497/3 "2001-11-27T15:06:34Z")

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Lead is used in medical areas for radiation shielding because it’s cheap and dense enough to be effective without needing a ton (literally) of it. You could get the same shielding for your X-ray with an apron of concrete a couple feet thick. That would probably not be as comfortable as a lead apron. There are some more exotic materials that will shield radiation as well as or better than lead at a fraction of the mass, but they would bankrupt a dentist’s office.  
They shield the rest of your body for the reason that **Slick** said. Anything to minimize your exposure to excess radiation is good. There is also a bit of CYA on the dentist’s part. If you would get cancer some years down the line, you couldn’t come back at them in some way.