Toothworks of Bakersfield, a downtown dental and orthodontic practice using digital radiography and cone beam imaging, is addressing a national guidance change most patients have not heard about: the lead apron is no longer recommended for dental X-rays.
The recommendation came from an expert panel established by the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs and was published in The Journal of the American Dental Association in February 2024. It advises discontinuing routine use of lead abdominal aprons and thyroid collars during dental imaging, and it applies to all patients regardless of age or health status, including pregnancy. Medical physicists with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration supported the panel's work. The ADA published a second set of recommendations in January 2026 addressing how often dental X-rays should be taken, reaffirming that shielding is unnecessary given current radiation levels and imaging technique.
The reasoning turns on the equipment. According to the ADA, modern digital X-ray systems combined with rectangular collimation — restricting the beam to only the area being imaged — protect patients from stray exposure more effectively than a lead apron does. Shielding can also block the primary beam and obscure the image the dentist needs, which forces a retake. A retake means a second exposure, so the apron intended to reduce radiation can end up increasing it.
The obstacle has not been convincing dentists. Alan Lurie, professor and chair of oral and maxillofacial radiology at the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, who helped develop the underlying radiology recommendation, has described the science as settled while characterizing public education as an entirely separate challenge — and has said the panel anticipated patient discomfort as the main barrier to putting the change into practice. Two years on, many patients still expect the apron and read its absence as an oversight rather than a deliberate update.
Digital sensors are what changed the arithmetic. They require substantially less radiation than the film they replaced, display the image on screen within seconds rather than requiring chemical processing, and allow magnification and contrast adjustment without a second exposure. The ADA has noted that a dental X-ray can in some cases deliver less radiation than a person absorbs from natural background sources in a single day. The 2024 recommendations also address cone beam computed tomography, advising that the higher-exposure scan be reserved for cases where lower-exposure imaging cannot supply the diagnostic information required — relevant to orthodontic planning, impacted teeth and implant placement, all of which the practice handles on site.
The January 2026 guidance addresses a related question patients ask often: how frequently X-rays are needed. The recommendations favor imaging selected according to individual clinical need and history rather than a fixed calendar interval.
Zaghi is a graduate of the USC School of Dentistry and holds California dental license 109131. He is a member of the American Dental Association, the California Dental Association and the Kern County Dental Society. The practice operates at the intersection of H Street and 11th Street in downtown Bakersfield, three blocks from Mechanics Bank Arena, and treats patients from Westchester, Rosedale, Seven Oaks, Oildale and East Bakersfield.
Kern County patients with questions about digital dental X-rays, cone beam imaging, radiation exposure or how often imaging is needed can review the practice's imaging technology and request an appointment with David Zaghi, DDS, at Toothworks of Bakersfield in downtown Bakersfield at https://toothworksofbakersfield.com.
This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personal health decisions.
About Toothworks of Bakersfield
Toothworks of Bakersfield is a multidisciplinary dental and orthodontic practice in downtown Bakersfield offering general and family dentistry, orthodontics, restorative and cosmetic care and emergency appointments. Owner David Zaghi, DDS, is a graduate of the USC School of Dentistry and a member of the American Dental Association, the California Dental Association and the Kern County Dental Society. The practice is at 1030 H St #1, Bakersfield, CA 93304, (661) 323-9421, https://toothworksofbakersfield.com.
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For more information about Toothworks of Bakersfield, Dentist and Orthodontist, contact the company here:
Toothworks of Bakersfield, Dentist and Orthodontist
Dr. David Zaghi
16613239421
drzaghi@topdentalmanagement.com
1030 H St #1, Bakersfield, CA 93304, United States
