Bone DEXA scanning is an advanced x-ray technology that measures bone mineral density. It is a simple, non-invasive test that can help you learn about your risk of bone fracture before you break a bone. The DEXA bone density test takes less than 30 minutes and uses extremely low-dose x-rays, much less than a standard chest x-ray. In addition to checking for bone demineralization due to osteoporosis, the DEXA bone scan is used to detect bone loss caused by other diseases and treatments that can cause bone demineralization including diabetes, cancer, lupus, kidney disease and liver disease.