lead apron

Hello!   My fellow hygiene coworkers and I are having a debate.  Some of us feel that lead aprons are a thing of the past now that dental radiographs have gone digital.  One hygienist, who recently graduated, said that lead aprons are required only for intraoral radiographs and not panoramic radiographs.  I thought the thyroid guard was especially important.  What is the correct answer?  Are lead aprons required in dentistry with digital radiographs?