Say 'pictures', not 'x-rays'. Then say what they're for.

'We're going to take some x-rays' is accurate, and it's where half the pushback about them starts. The word carries radiation, cost and a hospital feeling. 'Pictures of your teeth' carries none of that, and it's what the patient is about to see on the screen anyway.

The word alone isn't enough. Say what the picture is for before you take it: the doctor needs to see between the teeth and under the gums, where nobody can look directly. A patient who knows why rarely asks to skip it.

When someone does worry about radiation, the comparison to use is about a day of natural background radiation, less than a flight. Never the banana. Patients hear a joke about their safety, and in our scenarios it fails a rep on its own.

And if a patient is or might be pregnant, nobody decides or reassures on the spot. Pause, and tell the doctor before any pictures are taken.