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Abstract #2974

Ultra-Short Echo-Time (UTE) Imaging for Early Diagnosis of Dental Demineralization

Anna-Katinka Bracher1, Christian Hofmann2,3, Said Boujraf4, Axel Bornstedt1, Erich Hell5, Johannes Ulrici5, Axel Spahr2, Volker Rasche1

1Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Baden-Wrttemberg, Germany; 2Department of Operative Dentistry, Periodontology and Pedodontics, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany; 3Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Baden-Wrttemberg, Germany; 4Department of Biophysics and Clinical MRI Methods, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Fez, Morocco; 5Sirona Dental Systems GmbH, Bensheim, Germany


Due to the high mineral content, the concentration of free protons is extremely low causing only weak magnetization and due to the susceptibility interfaces in the mineral structures, the spin-spin relaxation rates results below 1ms for dentin and below 250s for enamel. During caries lesion formation, some increase in liquid content resulting from the production of acid or caused by water penetrating into the lesion through the porous demineralized enamel layer is expected. The performance of ultra-short echo time (UTE) MRI for early assessment of lesion formation was investigated and compared to X-ray imaging.