How often should dental radiographs be taken?

This is a question is a question often asked by patients. Recently a study has reported a link to benign brain tumors and dental radio-graphs and this has increased the intensity of  the discussion.  Hardly a day goes by that I am not asked this question by a recall patient. We generally take bitewing X-rays every year to two years depending on a patients desires and their risk for dental problems. For most new patients with a past history of dental disease (treatment for caries or history of periodontal disease) we recommend a full series of dental radiographs. My dental website has an article that I have posted today indicating our guidlines and has links to relevant online information including ADA Guidelines and an article in the Washington post about the study linking dental radiographs to benign menigiomas.