Effect of dental metals on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

The aim of this research was to examine the effects of metals used in dentistry upon magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ten disk-shaped samples of metals have been used in this study. Each sample has been set into a volunteer who had produced a normal MR image when tested. The subject was imaged in the sagittal, frontal and coronal plane with a 0.1 T MRI device and results examined for MR defects. Au, Ag, Au-Ag-Pd and amalgam produced no defect. Ni-Cr, Co-Cr and SUS304 expressed small amounts of MR defects, but SUS405, Pd-Co-Ni and Sm-Co expressed large defects. Those metals which create MR image degradation must not be used for fixed prosthesis or orthodontic devices both of which could easily be made from other metals. If the MR image degrading metals are to be used in dentistry, their application should be restricted to removable prosthesis.