Dental MR tomography of the mandible

Imaging of the jaw bones is routinely achieved by conventional X-ray tomography or CT. In this study a new imaging procedure (dental MR tomography) is introduced. Five subjects were positioned in the standard neck coil of a 1.0 T MR scanner, and T1- and T2-weighted imaging of the mandible was performed in the axial plane. After the examination, the data were reconstructed as panorama and cross-sectional images using a software package for dental imaging on a workstation. The neurovascular bundle within the mandibular canal (MC), its relation to the teeth, and the pulp chambers of the teeth were demonstrated excellently in all cases. Edema and reactive hypervascularization due to an inflammatory process were also well visible. Dental MR tomography could become a good alternative to X-ray-based imaging modalities of the jaw bones by additionally offering the advantage of directly imaging the neurovascular bundle within the MC. Furthermore, administration of contrast agent for differentiation of pathological alterations is possible.