Final answer:
Dental X-ray machines primarily produce X-radiation. This comprises Bremsstrahlung and characteristic X-rays, generated when high-energy electrons slow down upon hitting the anode or when vacancies in the inner atomic shells are filled.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary type of radiation produced in a dental X-ray tubehead, or any X-ray tube, is X-radiation. This radiation is generated in two ways: through Bremsstrahlung (braking radiation) and characteristic X-rays. In the case of an X-ray tube, electrons are emitted from a hot filament and are accelerated towards the anode by a high voltage. The resulting radiation, namely X-radiation, is generated when these high-energy electrons slow down upon hitting the target, or the anode. In a dental X-ray in particular, the equipment is typically designed to generate relatively low-energy radiation to minimize patient exposure.
Bremsstrahlung radiation is a continuous spectrum of X-rays created when the moving electrons are deflected by atomic nuclei and slowed down. On the other hand, characteristic X-rays are produced when outer-shell electrons fill vacancies in the inner shells of atoms. As such, the characteristic X-rays contain specific energies related to these electron transitions.
Learn more about X-radiation