Beyond X-Rays: Unveiling the Future of Dental Diagnosis with Dental Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Diagnostic imaging is fundamental in dentistry for disease detection, treatment planning, and outcome assessment. Traditional radiographic methods, such as periapical and panoramic radiographs, along with cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), utilize ionizing radiation and primarily focus on visuali...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Diagnostics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/9/1153 |
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| author | Anusha Vaddi Pranav Parasher Sonam Khurana |
| author_facet | Anusha Vaddi Pranav Parasher Sonam Khurana |
| author_sort | Anusha Vaddi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Diagnostic imaging is fundamental in dentistry for disease detection, treatment planning, and outcome assessment. Traditional radiographic methods, such as periapical and panoramic radiographs, along with cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), utilize ionizing radiation and primarily focus on visualizing bony structures. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is emerging as a non-ionizing alternative that offers superior soft tissue contrast. However, standard MRI sequences face challenges visualizing mineralized tissues due to their short transverse relaxation times (T2), which results in rapid signal decay. Recent advancements exploring short T2 sequences, including Ultrashort Echo Time (UTE), Zero Echo Time (ZTE), and Sweep Imaging with Fourier Transformation (SWIFT), allow direct visualization of dental hard tissues. UTE captures signals from short T2 tissues using rapid pulse sequences, while ZTE employs encoding gradients before radiofrequency pulses to reduce signal loss. SWIFT enables near-simultaneous excitation and acquisition, improving ultrashort T2 detection. Additionally, customized intraoral and extraoral surface coils enhance the image resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), increasing MRI’s relevance in dentistry. Research highlights the potential of these short T2 sequences for early caries detection, pulp vitality assessment, and diagnosing jaw osseous pathology. While high-field MRI (3 T–7 T) improves resolution and increases susceptibility artifacts, low-field systems with specialized coils and short sequences offer promising alternatives. Despite obstacles such as cost and hardware constraints, ongoing studies refine protocols to enhance clinical applicability. Incorporating MRI in dentistry promises a safer, more comprehensive imaging methodology, potentially transforming diagnostics. This review emphasizes three types of short T2 sequences that have potential applications in the maxillofacial region. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e50f8aafcda04f1da9ada7f08cbc56e4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2075-4418 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Diagnostics |
| spelling | doaj-art-e50f8aafcda04f1da9ada7f08cbc56e42025-08-20T03:52:56ZengMDPI AGDiagnostics2075-44182025-05-01159115310.3390/diagnostics15091153Beyond X-Rays: Unveiling the Future of Dental Diagnosis with Dental Magnetic Resonance ImagingAnusha Vaddi0Pranav Parasher1Sonam Khurana2Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 520 N 12th Street, Richmond, VA 23298, USASection of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Diagnostic Sciences, UConn School of Dental Medicine, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030, USADepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology & Medicine, College of Dentistry, New York University, 345 East 24th Street, New York, NY 10010, USADiagnostic imaging is fundamental in dentistry for disease detection, treatment planning, and outcome assessment. Traditional radiographic methods, such as periapical and panoramic radiographs, along with cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), utilize ionizing radiation and primarily focus on visualizing bony structures. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is emerging as a non-ionizing alternative that offers superior soft tissue contrast. However, standard MRI sequences face challenges visualizing mineralized tissues due to their short transverse relaxation times (T2), which results in rapid signal decay. Recent advancements exploring short T2 sequences, including Ultrashort Echo Time (UTE), Zero Echo Time (ZTE), and Sweep Imaging with Fourier Transformation (SWIFT), allow direct visualization of dental hard tissues. UTE captures signals from short T2 tissues using rapid pulse sequences, while ZTE employs encoding gradients before radiofrequency pulses to reduce signal loss. SWIFT enables near-simultaneous excitation and acquisition, improving ultrashort T2 detection. Additionally, customized intraoral and extraoral surface coils enhance the image resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), increasing MRI’s relevance in dentistry. Research highlights the potential of these short T2 sequences for early caries detection, pulp vitality assessment, and diagnosing jaw osseous pathology. While high-field MRI (3 T–7 T) improves resolution and increases susceptibility artifacts, low-field systems with specialized coils and short sequences offer promising alternatives. Despite obstacles such as cost and hardware constraints, ongoing studies refine protocols to enhance clinical applicability. Incorporating MRI in dentistry promises a safer, more comprehensive imaging methodology, potentially transforming diagnostics. This review emphasizes three types of short T2 sequences that have potential applications in the maxillofacial region.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/9/1153dental MRIdental magnetic resonance imagingUltrashort Echo Time (UTE)Zero Echo Time (ZTE)Sweep Imaging with Fourier Transformation (SWIFT)intraoral coils |
| spellingShingle | Anusha Vaddi Pranav Parasher Sonam Khurana Beyond X-Rays: Unveiling the Future of Dental Diagnosis with Dental Magnetic Resonance Imaging Diagnostics dental MRI dental magnetic resonance imaging Ultrashort Echo Time (UTE) Zero Echo Time (ZTE) Sweep Imaging with Fourier Transformation (SWIFT) intraoral coils |
| title | Beyond X-Rays: Unveiling the Future of Dental Diagnosis with Dental Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| title_full | Beyond X-Rays: Unveiling the Future of Dental Diagnosis with Dental Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| title_fullStr | Beyond X-Rays: Unveiling the Future of Dental Diagnosis with Dental Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beyond X-Rays: Unveiling the Future of Dental Diagnosis with Dental Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| title_short | Beyond X-Rays: Unveiling the Future of Dental Diagnosis with Dental Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| title_sort | beyond x rays unveiling the future of dental diagnosis with dental magnetic resonance imaging |
| topic | dental MRI dental magnetic resonance imaging Ultrashort Echo Time (UTE) Zero Echo Time (ZTE) Sweep Imaging with Fourier Transformation (SWIFT) intraoral coils |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/9/1153 |
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