I am no conspiracy theorist, but I have similar experience. I really cannot understand the need to do x-ray. The incidence of oral bone tumors is almost non-existent. Instead of x-ray, the dentist should be feeling you tongue and gums to exam for oral cancer. Cancer of the tongue is actually real, and if detected early, is life saving.
Like Roosh I fought "tooth" and nail not to get the x-ray but eventually I relented. Even though x-ray radiation is minimal, but if I remember it was 3 or 4 shots which is is 2x that of chest x-ray.
I think one reason they push for x-ray is that they can point to tiny specks on the film and justify reasons to drill for cavity. Also if you have dental insurance, forget it, all the sudden you have cavities everywhere. When I had no insurance, I had no cavity, once I got dental insurance, they'll find every excuse to do procedures and bill the insurance company.
My friend's brother was a new grad dentist years ago. He said he was pushed to generate certain amount of revenue every month. So they up-sell fillings, crowns, everything.
Overall I respect the ethics of medical community, but there are still unscrupulous players. But I think dental community is even worse. You have to be pretty pathologic to do heart surgery on someone who does not need it for multiple reasons, but for one it is just so high risk. Dentists on the other hand know that their procedures done unnecessarily do not endanger your life. Knowing that they don't have any fear of over treatment.
You just have to be lucky to find an older dentist who has his own practice and is not hard for money. I went to one years ago. He was chill, clean my teeth himself, no x-ray, no cavity. Unfortunately he retired 5 years later. I am pretty lucky now I can also get dental care overseas where they don't push for procedures.