Although an x-ray beam consists of a continuous spectrum of x-ray photon energies, only photons with sufficient energy to penetrate through anatomic structures and reach the image receptor (digital or film) are useful for diagnostic radiology. Low-energy photons that cannot reach the receptor contribute to patient risk but do no offer any benefit. Consequently, it is desirable to remove these low-energy photons from the beam. This removal can be accomplished in part by placing a metallic disk (filter) in the beam path.  A filter preferentially removes low-energy photons from the beam, while allowing high energy photons that are able to contribute to making an image to pass through.  Ref: Oral Radiology, Principles and Interpretation / Stuart C. White, Michael J. Pharoah - 7th ed - pg - 10