Can you have an MRI with dental implants?
Usually yes. Dental implants are made of titanium or zirconia, which are not magnetic in the way steel is, so radiology teams scan people who have them. The practical issue is image quality: metal close to the area being scanned can blur head and neck pictures. Braces are generally safe to scan but may need removing for some head scans. Tell the MRI team; at Creative Arts in Dubai we can give you details of the dental work we placed.
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Two different questions: is it safe, and will the pictures be clear?
When a radiology form asks about metal in your body, it is checking two separate things, and dental work affects them differently.
Safety. An MRI scanner uses a very strong magnet. Objects made of strongly magnetic (ferromagnetic) metal can be pulled, twisted or warmed. Most dental materials are not in that group: titanium implants, zirconia, ceramic crowns and veneers, composite fillings and gold alloys are not attracted to the magnet in a way that matters. The items radiographers look at more carefully are some steel orthodontic parts, palate expanders and anything containing a magnet, such as magnet-retained dentures.
Image quality. Even metal that is safe in the scanner can distort the local magnetic field and leave a dark or bright smudge on the images, called an artefact. If your scan is of the knee or the lower back, a crown in your mouth makes no difference. If it is of the brain, sinuses, jaw, tongue or neck, the same crown or brace may hide exactly what the radiologist needs to see.
That is why the radiology team, not your dentist, makes the final decision: they know which body part is being scanned, which scanner and sequences will be used, and how much distortion the question in front of them can tolerate.
MRI with dental implants, crowns, fillings and braces: a quick guide
A general guide to common dental work. Your MRI department will check your own situation, sometimes with a handheld magnet, before the scan.
| Dental work | Usually stays in for an MRI? | Effect on head and neck images | What to tell or do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titanium implant with a crown | Yes; it cannot be removed and is not strongly magnetic | A moderate artefact around the implant in a laboratory study | Say you have implants and how many; mention the crown material if you know it |
| Zirconia or all-ceramic crowns and veneers | Yes | Little artefact in laboratory testing | Mention them; they rarely change the plan |
| Metal-ceramic crowns and bridges | Yes | Depends on the metal: non-precious alloys caused more artefact than precious alloys in testing | Mention them, especially for brain, jaw or neck scans |
| Fillings (white or silver) | Yes | Usually small and local | Normally nothing extra is needed |
| Fixed braces (brackets and wire) | Generally safe to scan | Can distort images of the head and neck | Tell the MRI team early; for head scans they may ask for the wire or brackets to be removed |
| Bonded retainer wire behind the teeth | Usually stays in | A small local artefact near the front teeth is possible | Mention it; the radiologist decides if it matters |
| Palate expander | Often best removed before an MRI if possible | Can affect head images | Contact your orthodontist as soon as the scan is booked |
| Removable retainer, aligners, dentures | Taken out before the scan | None once removed | Remove them and keep them with your belongings |
Rows on artefacts summarise a 2022 laboratory study on a 1.5 T scanner (Gao and colleagues); safety rows follow published hospital MRI guidance. Neither replaces the screening done by your MRI department.
Is an MRI with dental implants safe?
For the large majority of people, yes. A dental implant is a small screw-shaped post, usually titanium or a titanium alloy, sometimes zirconia ceramic. Neither is ferromagnetic, which is why implants are not on the list of items that stop a scan. You cannot take an implant out, and you do not need to.
What you can do is make the radiology team's job easier. Tell them how many implants you have, roughly where they are, and whether they carry single crowns, a bridge or a full-arch set of teeth. If you were given a record of the implant system used, bring it. Many people do not have one, especially if the implant was placed years ago or abroad; in that case an X-ray at the dental clinic shows where the implants are and what is attached to them. Our guide to dental implant brands explains what an implant record usually contains.
Whether titanium or zirconia makes a difference to MRI is one of the questions people ask when choosing an implant. The comparison of zirconia vs titanium implants covers that choice in full; for most patients, MRI is not the deciding factor.
Do braces need removing before a head MRI?
Not always, and it should never be guessed. Hospital MRI guidance, such as that published by the radiology department of the University of California, San Francisco, describes braces as generally safe to image, but notes that they can distort the pictures depending on the type of scan. For head or neck scans, the radiologist is consulted, and the doctor who ordered the scan may choose to remove the brackets or wire, use another kind of imaging, or try the MRI with the braces in place.
In practice, the options usually look like this:
- Scan of another part of the body: braces stay on.
- Head or neck scan where some blurring around the mouth is acceptable: often scanned with braces on.
- Scan of the face, jaws, tongue, sinuses or the base of the skull: the wire, and sometimes the brackets, may need to come off first.
Removing the wire is quicker and easier than removing every bracket, and it is sometimes enough. If the brackets must come off, they can be bonded again afterwards and treatment continues; the delay depends on how long the braces are off. Ask the radiology team for their decision in writing and share it with your orthodontist, ideally as soon as the scan is booked. At Creative Arts, braces are managed by our specialist orthodontists, who can plan around a scan date.
Removable appliances are simpler. Clear aligners and removable retainers come out before the scan. Palate expanders deserve an early call: the same hospital guidance says that taking them out before an MRI is best practice where possible.
Do zirconia crowns or veneers affect MRI images?
Very little. In a 2022 laboratory study using a skull and a 1.5 T scanner, Gao and colleagues found that resin, ceramic, zirconia and precious metal-ceramic crowns barely produced artefacts, while pure titanium crowns and non-precious metal-ceramic crowns produced significant artefacts. Titanium implants produced moderate artefacts, and adding a zirconia crown on top did not reduce them.
Three practical points follow:
- Ceramic and zirconia crowns and veneers are unlikely to interfere with head and neck MRI.
- Older metal-ceramic crowns, particularly those on non-precious alloys, can matter more if you need regular scans of the jaw or brain.
- A laboratory study is a guide, not a promise. Real scans differ in field strength, sequence and position, and the radiologist judges whether the images answer the clinical question.
Planning implants and expecting MRI scans in future? Ask us how implant and crown materials are chosen, and get a written plan that records exactly what is placed.
Dental implants in DubaiWhat to do before your MRI if you have dental work
- Fill in the safety form fully. List implants, crowns, bridges, braces, bonded retainers and any removable appliance. Do not leave something out because it seems small.
- Say which part of your body is being scanned when you speak to the radiology team, and ask whether your dental work matters for that scan.
- Ask your dental clinic for details if you are unsure what you have. At Creative Arts we can tell you which implants, crowns and materials we placed and provide copies of your records.
- Contact your orthodontist early if the radiology team wants braces or an expander removed, so the appointment can be arranged before the scan rather than in a rush.
- Take out removable items on the day: aligners, removable retainers, mouthguards and dentures.
- Do not remove or bend anything yourself. Pulling at a wire can damage teeth and the appliance.
If you need regular MRI scans, plan your dental work with it in mind
Some people know they will have repeated head or neck MRIs, for example to monitor a neurological condition or a past tumour. If that applies to you, mention it before any crown, bridge, implant or orthodontic treatment is planned. It rarely rules anything out, but it can shape choices:
- All-ceramic or zirconia crowns rather than non-precious metal-ceramic ones near the area being monitored.
- A removable or clear option for orthodontic retention instead of a bonded wire, where that suits the case; see fixed vs removable retainers.
- A short talk between your dentist and the radiology team when a large amount of metal work is being considered.
At Creative Arts, crowns and veneers are made by Creative Art Dental Lab in the same building, and your written plan lists the material for every unit, so you can pass it to your radiology team.
What about airport scanners, CT scans and dental X-rays?
Airport security. Dental implants, crowns and braces are small and are not usually a problem at airport security. If a scanner does flag something, explaining that you have dental implants or braces is normally enough. The myth that implants routinely set off alarms is one of several covered in our guide to dental implant myths.
CT scans. CT uses X-rays rather than a magnet, so there is no question of metal being pulled. Metal can still cause streaks on CT images of the jaw, which radiographers reduce with positioning and settings.
Dental X-rays and 3D CBCT. These are routine with implants and braces in place; they are how dentists check implants. For dose and safety, see are dental X-rays safe.
The MRI team has the final word
This guide explains the general picture. Only the radiology department that performs your scan can decide whether your dental work is safe for their scanner and whether anything must be removed. If a form or a call leaves you unsure, ask them before the day of the scan.