Magnetic resonance imaging artefacts and fixed orthodontic attachments

Orthodontic appliances are often removed before magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans because they are known to produce artefacts. The purpose of this study was to find the exact indications for removal of various fixed attachments when imaging four specific areas of the head and neck. Sixty patien...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of orthodontics 2015-02, Vol.37 (1), p.105-110
Main Authors: Beau, Aurélien, Bossard, Denis, Gebeile-Chauty, Sarah
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Ceramics
Dental Alloys
Dental Stress Analysis - instrumentation
Dentistry
Device Removal
Female
Head - pathology
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Male
Materials Testing
Middle Aged
Nickel
Orthodontic Appliances
Orthodontic Brackets
Orthodontic Wires
Stainless Steel
Titanium
Young Adult
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Summary:Orthodontic appliances are often removed before magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans because they are known to produce artefacts. The purpose of this study was to find the exact indications for removal of various fixed attachments when imaging four specific areas of the head and neck. Sixty patients requiring an MRI scan of the head for medical reasons volunteered for this investigation. One of four different types of fixed attachments (stainless steel brackets, titanium brackets, ceramic brackets with metal slots, and stainless steel retainers) were assigned to a patient. Each patient had two scans at 1.5 T: with an 'empty wax jig' and with a wax jig including the attachment. Archwires were not investigated as they are easily removed before a scan. Two radiologists evaluated the scans of each patient and each of the four areas under investigation: maxillary sinus, oral cavity, temporomandibular joints, and posterior cerebral fossa. Stainless steel brackets always caused non-interpretability of all anatomic areas (100 per cent). Titanium brackets, ceramic brackets with metal slots, and stainless steel retainers caused artefact in the oral cavity only (for 20, 16.65, and 86.65 per cent of the subjects). Our results show that ceramic brackets with metal slots and titanium brackets do not always have to be removed before MRI scans of the head and neck, depending on the area under investigation. Metal fixed retainers should only be removed if the oral cavity itself is under investigation. Stainless steel brackets should always be removed before MRI scans of the head and neck.
ISSN:0141-5387
1460-2210
DOI:10.1093/ejo/cju020