[Magnetic resonance imaging artefacts and fixed orthodontic attachments]

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Orthodontics
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Orthodontic appliances often cause artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), necessitating their removal.
• Understanding artifact generation is crucial for clear head and neck imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine specific indications for removing various fixed orthodontic attachments during head and neck MRI.
• To assess the impact of different bracket and retainer materials on MRI quality.

Main Methods:

• Sixty patients undergoing head MRI were included.
• Four types of fixed attachments were tested: stainless steel brackets, titanium brackets, ceramic brackets with metal slots, and stainless steel retainers.
• Scans were performed at 1.5 T with and without attachments in four head/neck regions.

Main Results:

• Stainless steel brackets invariably caused non-interpretable scans across all areas (100%).
• Titanium brackets, ceramic brackets with metal slots, and stainless steel retainers produced artifacts primarily within the oral cavity (20%, 16.65%, and 86.65% respectively).

Conclusions:

• Ceramic brackets with metal slots and titanium brackets may not require removal for certain head and neck MRI scans.
• Metal fixed retainers should only be removed if the oral cavity is the primary focus of the MRI.
• Stainless steel brackets consistently necessitate removal before head and neck MRI to ensure diagnostic image quality.