title: Application of a Dedicated Surface Coil in Dental MRI Provides Superior Image Quality in Comparison with a Standard Coil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Purpose of our research was the evaluation of a dedicated dental surface coil in comparison with a standard head and neck coil for the improvement of dental magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Axial T1-weighted spin echo MRI was performed by using a newly developed dental coil for MRI and a standard head and neck coil on five volunteers. In addition, MRI was implemented with dental coil on five patients. Using the Wilcoxon test, we compared the volunteers' signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a variety of anatomical structures (e.g., hard tooth tissue, pulp tissue, bone, muscle tissue). Also subjective evaluation of image quality was performed on both volunteers and patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the head and neck coil, the mean SNR was 3.5-fold higher on an average with the dental coil (range: from 2.7 [masseter muscle] to  4.6 [pulp tissue]). That difference was statistically significant for all evaluated structures. The higher SNR also resulted in a superior image quality as determined by subjective evaluation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dental MRI benefits profoundly from using a dedicated dental coil.
authors: Department of Neuroradiology, University of Heidelberg Medical Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. Johann.Gradl@gmx.at.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Gradl
authors: Heidelberg University School of Medicine, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Höreth
authors: Department of Oral, Dental and Maxillofacial Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical Center, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Pfefferle
authors: Department of Neuroradiology, University of Heidelberg Medical Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Prager
authors: Department of Neuroradiology, University of Heidelberg Medical Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Hilgenfeld
authors: NORAS MRI Products GmbH, Leibnizstrasse 4, 97204, Höchberg, Germany.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Gareis
authors: Department of Neuroradiology, University of Heidelberg Medical Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Bäumer
authors: Department of Neuroradiology, University of Heidelberg Medical Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Heiland
authors: Department of Neuroradiology, University of Heidelberg Medical Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Bendszus
authors: Department of Neuroradiology, University of Heidelberg Medical Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Hähnel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015921:Dental Implants; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants
keywords: Dental pulp; Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); Surface coil; Tooth