MRI AND ITS APPLICATIONS IN OROFACIAL REGION

The oro-facial region is a challenging area for radiological diagnosis due to its complexities in the anatomical structures. Various radiological modalities which have been meticulously used in the field of dentistry include intraoral periapical radiographs, panoramic radiographs, skull radiographs, TMJ tomography, CBCT, etc. While these modalities greatly contribute to viewing hard tissue anatomical structures, modalities like USG have been used for viewing soft tissue pathologies to a certain extent. However, investigating further deeper soft tissue structures of the maxillofacial region has been a demanding task. In recent days MRI has been found to have numerous applications in dentistry. With emerging advanced technologies, MRI has the potential to become a powerful tool of diagnostics for the oro-facial region in near future. This book gives an overview of various applications of MRI in the oro-facial region and the recent advancements aiding in diagnosis with a view to understanding the principles of MR imaging and appreciating the benefits and limits of its use in dentistry.