How long do dental x-rays take?

Thanks to advances in technology, many dentists now opt for digital x-rays when looking for damage and disease not visible during a regular dental exam. The benefits of using digital x-ray images is that it can be sent directly to a computer and viewed right away. When using film, a dental team member must first process the x-ray in special chemicals; this can take a few minutes.

How long your x-rays take depends on how many you x-rays you need. For instance, a single x-ray can be completed right away whereas a series of images may take longer.

The time needed for dental x-rays depends on the type and number of x-rays needed.

A bitewing x-ray of a single tooth might take only a few minutes.

A full mouth series, in which teeth are x-rayed one or two at a time, typically takes about 25 minutes, though some manufacturers of digital x-ray equipment claim their equipment completes a full-mouth series more quickly.