Whether to do an MRI with pins in the teeth

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

An accurate and informative research method is magnetic resonance imaging. But this diagnostic method has its limitations. When prescribing a procedure, the question arises whether it is possible to do an MRI with pins in teeth or metal crowns.

Variety of pins

In case of significant destruction of the tooth, it is recommended to install pins, since it will be difficult to fix the filling. A dental post is a metal rod that is screwed into the root of the canal. Various materials are used for the manufacture of pins:

• cermets;
• fiberglass;
• titanium;
• gold alloys;
• platinum.

The most reliable rods are considered to be titanium alloys. They are practical and have an average price tag.

MRI with pins

Magnetic resonance imaging is done to detect diseases, especially in the early stages. For this, the apparatus takes a series of images - slices of a certain internal organ. You need a very high image quality so that a specialist can detect the presence of defects in a given area.

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If the patient has a post in the mouth, he must report this before the examination. Whether it is possible to do an MRI with pins in the teeth will be decided depending on many factors:

1. Much depends on the material from which the pins are made. If they are magnetised, the image in this area will be blurry.
2. Place of examination. When examining the head, the presence of pins is important. If you need to do a tomography of the lower extremities, then the pins will not affect the results.
3. Tomograph model. More modern models of devices have special settings that allow you to avoid distortion in the presence of metal in the patient's body.
4. If the patient does not remember about the presence of pins in the oral cavity, it is necessary to go to the dentist and take an X-ray of the jaw. The picture will show which teeth are replaced by rods.

The card describes what material the pin is made of. With a full description, you can come to the MRI. If a magnetic resonance imaging cannot be done, then a computed tomography is performed.

Metal crowns on teeth

In dentistry, metal crowns are often used for tooth decay. If the crown is made only of metal, then copper is sprayed on it. For metal-ceramic crowns, the spraying is made of ceramics. When placing such prostheses, the question will arise whether it is possible to do an MRI scan with metal crowns on the teeth.

It is impossible to perform magnetic resonance imaging with metal crowns, but it is possible with metal-ceramic crowns.

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Fasteners for crowns are made of the following materials:

• steel;
• nickel;
• cobalt;
• iron.

They affect the magnetic field of the tomograph. Heating of these materials is negligible. It is not felt by a person, does not have a negative effect on the surrounding tissues. But these fasteners will distort the images in the pictures. Gold alloys do not heat up, but they also change the computer image.

Influence of metal on examination

Medical technology is advancing rapidly. It is no longer possible to say unequivocally whether it is possible to do an MRI scan with metal crowns on the teeth. Only when examining the head can these structures interfere. If tomography of the extremities or internal organs of the abdominal cavity is performed, then the presence of metal crowns will not affect the results in any way.

Metal in the mouth can interfere with chest MRI or heart examinations. In such cases, computed tomography is recommended.

If the examination needs to be done urgently, for example in case of a head injury, the crowns can be removed. To put them in place, you will need a visit to the dentist.

The metal will interact with the strong magnetic field of the tomograph, which is usually feared by patients. Almost no heating of a metal object occurs, it is very weak, only 1 ° C. The patient will not be magnetized to the wall of the tomograph.

The question of whether it is possible to do an MRI with pins in the teeth or metal-ceramic crowns can be resolved with specialists in this diagnosis. Permission or refusal depends on many nuances. Modern tomographs have great capabilities, but it makes no sense to carry out an expensive examination if the images are of poor quality due to the presence of metal.

Bonus

Magnetic resonance imaging can be performed in the presence of metal in the oral cavity, it should be noted that:

• modern devices have special settings for such cases;
• metal structures in the mouth can only interfere with the examination of the head;
• the metal will affect the results of the tomography, making the images blurry at the location of the post or crown;
• the patient must definitely warn doctors before the MRI procedure about the presence of metal in the oral cavity.