Yes, you can generally have an MRI with most metal fillings, as they aren't significantly affected by the magnetic field and are considered safe, but they can cause image distortion (artifacts) near the mouth, potentially affecting head/neck scans; always inform your doctor and the radiologist about all dental work, as they'll decide if it's a concern or if a different scan is needed.
You Can Have Metal Fillings and Get an MRI!
MRI magnets don't attract every type of metal, so they won't attract any type of metal that isn't ferromagnetic. You only need to be concerned with things like nickel, iron, and cobalt.
Dental metals rarely cause major problems during an MRI. Most modern dental materials, including titanium implants and amalgam fillings, are considered MRI-safe or MRI-conditional. Titanium, commonly used for dental implants, is non-ferromagnetic, meaning it won't be attracted to the MRI's magnetic field.
Approximately half of a dental amalgam filling is liquid mercury and the other half is a powdered alloy of silver, tin, and copper. Mercury is used to bind the alloy particles together into a strong, durable, and solid filling.
For this reason, you should be extremely careful to provide your physician and the treating diagnostic technician with a detailed medical and dental history. Metal fillings, crowns containing metal infrastructure, braces and even dentures may contain ferromagnetic materials that can interfere with an MRI scan.
The Good News: Most Modern Braces Are MRI-Safe
This means they are either non-magnetic or weakly magnetic and, therefore, unlikely to be significantly affected by the MRI's magnetic field.
Unique issues related to MRIs and dental crowns
While most crowns are MRI-compatible, metal-based crowns may create small areas of distortion in the scanned images. This issue is generally limited to scans of the head, neck, or jaw. For MRIs of other parts of the body, dental crowns are unlikely to have any effect.
Your healthcare provider may recommend a urine test (most common), fecal, or blood test for mercury poisoning from fillings. Amalgam fillings and methylmercury (organic mercury), often found in seafood products, are the top sources of mercury that can lead to mercury poisoning.
In addition to their claims of possible health and ethical issues, opponents of dental amalgam fillings claim amalgam fillings contribute to mercury contamination of the environment.
Common eco-friendly options include. Composite Resin Fillings: Made from glass and resin, Mercury free Composite resin filling is strong and tooth-colored effective in most cases. They can also be used to hold a tooth together. Ceramic Fillings: Ceramic fillings are free of metal, long-lasting and stain resistant.
— Exposure to ultra-high-strength MRI may release toxic mercury from amalgam fillings in teeth, according to a new study appearing online in the journal Radiology. The effect was not seen, however, in the lower strength, more commonly used 1.5-Tesla (T) MRI. Selmi Yilmaz, Ph.
Objects that may interfere with image quality if close to the area under examination include:
The presence of metal can be a serious problem in MRI, because: Magnetic metals can experience a force in the scanner. Long wires (such as in pacemakers) can result in induced currents and heating from the RF magnetic field. Metals cause the static magnetic field to be inhomogeneous, causing severe image degradation.
Since an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed body images, patients often worry that metal-based dental restorations might interfere with the process. The good news is that in most cases, having dental crowns does not prevent you from getting an MRI safely.
Amalgam fillings, though metal-based, do not have the properties to attract magnets. However, there is some evidence to suggest that MRI scans (which use magnets to collect images) may release a higher, yet acceptable, level of mercury into the bodies of patients with metal fillings.
As discussed in the prior Q&A, objects made of ferromagnetic materials — iron, cobalt, manganese, nickel and a few rare earth elements and their alloys — have the potential to move or twist in a static magnetic field creating potential danger.
The short answer is yes, dental amalgam is still commonly used to fill teeth in many countries around the world. Dental amalgam is a durable and long-lasting material that has been used in dentistry for over 150 years.
The 2-2-2 rule in dentistry is a simple guideline for good oral hygiene: brush twice a day, for two minutes each time, and visit your dentist twice a year, helping to prevent cavities, gum disease, and other dental problems by establishing consistent habits for plaque removal and professional monitoring.
Often referred to as “silver fillings” due to their metallic look, amalgam fillings have been in use for more than 150 years. In Australia, these fillings continue to be used in certain clinical situations, particularly for restoring cavities in back teeth where strength and durability are priorities.
When did dentist stop using mercury fillings? Dentists began phasing out mercury amalgam fillings after the FDA reclassified them from Class I to Class II in 2009, indicating a moderate risk. However, many still use them, while alternatives like porcelain fillings are increasingly preferred.
However, the amount of mercury released is very unlikely to be clinically meaningful and is likely to remain well below safe intake levels. The release of mercury from dental amalgam should therefore not be a clinically meaningful concern during MRI examinations, even for patients with many amalgam fillings.
Composite fillings do not contain mercury and are generally considered safer, especially for patients who prefer metal-free dentistry. They are also bonded directly to the tooth, preserving more natural structure.
Before an MRI, do not wear or bring metal (jewelry, pins, underwire bras, coins), skip cosmetics with metallic particles (mascara, glitter), avoid lotion/oils on the area, leave electronic devices at home, and always inform staff about implants, pregnancy, or kidney issues, as fasting and patch removal depend on the specific exam and contrast use, so follow your doctor's precise instructions.
Since MRI uses a very strong magnet, metal on or inside the body may be affected, so be sure to tell your scheduler and technologist about any device, metal, or shrapnel in your body and they will determine if it is safe for you to proceed with the MRI exam.
If you have braces or other dental work, you can usually undergo an MRI without any problems. While metal in your mouth may cause minor distortions in images, it does not pose a significant health risk. Always inform your doctor and MRI technician about your braces, retainers, or fillings before the scan.