The amount of radiation used in dental X-rays is low, compared to the amount of radiation exposure the average person in the US receives from natural sources such as the sun and soil. If you have 1 bite wing X-ray taken at your dentist office with a digital X-ray machine, which shows 4 – 6 teeth in the image, the radiation exposure will be approximately less than one third of 1 percent of your annual radiation exposure from the sun and soil.