Does a dental implant affect an MRI scan?

As dental implants are the preferred method for oral tooth restoration,besides the price being what everyone cares about and pays the most attention to,there are also many friends who, when consulting about implant-related questions,ask more often about:Does a dental implant affect an MRI?

What is an MRI?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses pulsed magnetic fields to create images, recording the distribution within tissues of components containing hydrogen atoms (such as water), and it can be used for every part of the human body.

Because an extremely strong magnetic field exists in the MRI machine and inside the MRI examination room, patients with cardiac pacemakers, those with metal clips or metal stents left after vascular surgery, or others who have undergone surgery involving metal stents are absolutely forbidden from undergoing MRI examination; otherwise, becausethe metal is attracted and moved by the powerful magnetic field, this may produce serious consequences.

The principle by which metal affects MRI

Artifacts caused by metal materials are divided into ferromagnetic metal artifacts and non-ferromagnetic metal artifacts. The size of the artifact produced is related to the magnetic susceptibility of the metal material and the magnetic field strength; the greater the magnetic susceptibility and the higher the magnetic field strength, the larger the artifact produced.

Does a dental implant affect magnetic resonance imaging?

Oral experts explain that the material used in some legitimate internationally advanced artificial implants ispure titanium，Titanium is the metal with the best biocompatibility known so far, and it is a non-magnetic metal, and it will not be magnetized even in a very large magnetic field, sothe implant itself has no effect at all on MRI examination。

What may affect MRI examination is the false tooth on top of the implant. Currently the commonly used implant false-tooth restoration materials fall intoall-ceramic and metal porcelain-fused-to-metaltwo major categories.All-ceramic materialsare non-metallic and have no effect at all on MRI examination, whereas metal porcelain-fused-to-metal teeth, depending on the type of metal, interfere to varying degrees with MRI imaging.

Therefore,when recommending fixed oral restorations, all-ceramic restorations should be given priority; when metal crowns and bridges must be used, precious metals should be given priority(gold alloy, gold-platinum alloy, etc.), followed by pure titanium metal, then titanium-containing alloys, and only last cobalt-chromium and nickel-chromium alloys. Even if precious metals are chosen, individual single crowns are still preferable, avoiding multi-unit crown and bridge restorations.

If there is a non-precious-metal fixed restoration in the mouth, must it be removed first when undergoing an MRI examination?

Actually, it isnot necessarily. This is because thesedental alloys will not harm the body during an MRI examination; they only interfere with the imaging within a certain range around the restoration.

Metal restorations in the mouth, during MRI examination, affect areas involving the brain, neck, face, inner ear and other parts. If the part we need to examine is not near the metal restoration, it willnot affect the diagnosis of the disease, and there is no need to remove the restoration.

Choose the restoration material properly according to your own situation,implant experts generally recommend all-ceramic and precious metals first, because such materials are both attractive and almost never bring adverse reactions such as allergies to the human body, and they will not interfere with diagnosis during MRI examination. Of course, if ordinary metal is chosen, it does not necessarily have to be removed during MRI examination; the radiologist will make a judgment according to the situation.

Warm reminder

Friends who need dental implants should not worry too much,a dental implant is a very safe, comfortable, attractive and practical tooth restoration technique, and is the greatest achievement in the field of dentistry in the 20th century.

Dental implants imitate natural teeth,can restore most of the chewing function, have better retention, and are more comfortable - humanity's third set of teeth. Here, Baide Dental sincerely hopes that implant technology can benefit more patients with missing teeth, and not let missing teeth harm your health.