Most people searching for a dental X-ray near them have one of two problems: a dentist has handed them a slip with an acronym on it, or a tooth hurts and they want to know what is going on before committing to treatment anywhere. Either way it helps to know that "dental X-ray" is not one thing. There are three common types, they answer completely different questions, and they range from ₹200 to ₹5,000. Being sold the expensive one when the cheap one would have answered the question is a real and common problem.
The three scans, and what each is for
- IOPA / RVG - ₹200 to ₹400. A single small sensor placed next to one tooth. Shows that tooth, its root and the bone immediately around it. This is the right scan for one painful tooth, a suspected cavity, or checking a root canal.
- OPG (panoramic) - ₹800 to ₹1,500. One image wrapping around the whole jaw, showing every tooth including unerupted ones, both jaw joints and the sinuses. The right scan for wisdom teeth, general treatment planning, orthodontic assessment, or unexplained jaw pain.
- CBCT (3D cone beam) - ₹2,500 to ₹5,000 depending on how large a field is scanned. A three-dimensional reconstruction you can slice through in any direction. Necessary for implant planning, impacted teeth sitting near a nerve, and complex root canal anatomy - and genuinely unnecessary for anything else.
The rule we work to is the smallest scan that answers the question. If you have one sore molar, you need an IOPA, not a CBCT. If a clinic reaches for 3D imaging for a routine filling, ask what specific question it is answering that a ₹300 IOPA cannot.
"Do I need a referral?"
No. You can walk in to our imaging room in Mayur Vihar Phase 1 without an appointment and without a prescription. If another dentist referred you, bring the slip and we image exactly what they asked for. If you have no slip and just know which tooth hurts, point at it - we will pick the scan that answers it.
One thing worth insisting on wherever you go: the images belong to you. We release them to you and to any dentist you choose, in a standard format, the same visit. A clinic that will only show you your own X-ray on their screen, or that will not send it to the dentist you actually want to treat you, is holding your diagnosis hostage to keep the treatment. That is worth walking out over.
How much radiation is this, really?
This is the question patients are usually too embarrassed to ask, and it deserves a straight answer. A digital dental IOPA is one of the smallest medical radiation doses that exists - roughly comparable to a day or two of the natural background radiation you absorb simply by being alive, and a small fraction of what you get on a long-haul flight. An OPG is somewhat more, a CBCT considerably more than an OPG but still far below a medical CT scan of the head.
Digital sensors are the reason. They need up to 80% less radiation than the old film they replaced, and the exposure lasts under a second. We use a lead apron and thyroid collar as standard, and we work to the ALARA principle - as low as reasonably achievable. The honest summary is that the risk from a necessary dental X-ray is very small, and the risk from treating a tooth blind is not.
Children and pregnancy
Both are safe with the right precautions, and both deserve extra thought. For children we use the smallest sensor that fits, shield thoroughly, and only image when it changes what we would do - typically to check for decay between the back teeth, or to see whether adult teeth are developing in the right place. Our guide on kids' dental care covers what to expect at each age.
If you are pregnant, tell us before the scan, not after. A dental X-ray with an apron directs essentially nothing at the abdomen, and a genuine dental infection is a far bigger risk to a pregnancy than the imaging. But routine screening images can wait, and we would rather defer them.
What the X-ray is likely to show
The four things we are usually looking for: decay, particularly between teeth where it is invisible to the eye until it is deep; infection at the root tip, which appears as a dark shadow in the bone and usually means a root canal rather than a filling; bone loss around the roots from gum disease, which is what gum treatment is designed to arrest; and the position of unerupted teeth, most often wisdom teeth and how close they sit to the nerve.
You get an actual explanation of all this, not just a file. If the image shows something that needs treating, we will tell you what it costs before you decide anything - our cost calculator gives you the ranges in advance, and the root canal cost guide explains where the wide price variation in Delhi actually comes from.
When to just get the X-ray
If a tooth has been hurting for more than a few days, if you have swelling, if a tooth is tender to bite on, or if you are about to spend serious money on treatment somewhere and want an independent look first - get the image. It is the cheapest step in dentistry and it is the one that stops you paying for the wrong treatment. If you are in pain right now, read how to stop tooth pain at night first, and if there is facial swelling or fever, treat it as an emergency.
We are a short drive from Mayur Vihar Phase 1, Patparganj, IP Extension, Vasundhara Enclave, Trilokpuri, Noida and Laxmi Nagar. Walk in during clinic hours, or book a slot if you would rather not wait.