Why does the radiation technician leave the room when taking your X-ray?

Answer 1

Dentists leave the room because when you get an X-ray due to how X-rays work, it is a function of high energy radiation being released, hence why they usually have you wear a lead apron over areas not being scanned.

The reason that this is considered safe, yet the doctor leaves the room has to do with the frequency of exposure; while you are subject to an x-ray maybe once every few years, or months, the doctor would be exposed practically every day.

Long term exposure to X-rays are harmful, as the radiation can be stored in your body, especially in fat cells, however, being the recipient of X-rays is basically safe, the levels of radiation and duration of exposer are non harmful, but for the doctor, being exposed to this every day for long time periods, the radiation would eventually build up to dangerous levels due to their occupation of working with these on a regular basis.

Answer 2

Some of the x-rays produced during an exposure "scatter" away from the patient and travel isotropically around the room. In order to avoid these scattered photons and avoid unnecessary dose to themselves, the technologists stand in a seperate, lead lined area during the exposure. The lead lined area must have it's entrance located in such a place that any scattered photons would have to bounce at least twice before entering it, thus making it difficult to even reach the technologist, and any photons that do will have lost a significant enough amount of energy that they are now harmless.

Answer 3

The X-rays given to a patient are of high radiation. Additionally,the technician has to give X-rays to several other patients. Therefore, if he's in the room while the X-ray takes place, he or she will probably have cancer.