What type of radiation is primarily used in dental radiography?

In dental radiography, ionizing radiation is primarily used because it has sufficient energy to remove tightly bound electrons from atoms, thus creating ions. This characteristic allows ionizing radiation to penetrate materials, including human tissues, which is essential for producing diagnostic images of the teeth and surrounding structures.

The use of ionizing radiation in dental X-rays allows for the visualization of cavities, bone structure, and other important dental features that are not visible through standard physical examination alone. The ability to create detailed images at various depths makes ionizing radiation the standard in the field.

While other types of radiation, such as non-ionizing radiation, ultraviolet radiation, and microwave radiation, exist, they are not utilized in dental radiography due to their inability to penetrate tissues as effectively or to provide the necessary diagnostic information about dental health. Non-ionizing radiation, for example, includes forms of energy like visible light and radio waves, which lack the energy to ionize atoms and therefore cannot produce the images needed in dental diagnostics.