Joep Wezel1, 2, Wyger Brink1, Bert Jan Kooij2, Andrew Webb1
1C.J. Gorter center, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands; 2Microwave Technology and Systems for Radar, Technical University Delft, Delft, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
The aim of this study is to determine whether scanning a person with a titanium dental retainer wire is safe at 7 Tesla. Touching the wire with the tongue causes loading of the wire, reducing the Q factor, but simultaneously brings the RF half-wavelength closer to the wire dimensions. Simulations with both phantom and head model suggest the latter effect is dominant. The overall conclusion is that, provided that a small air gap is present between wire and tongue, no tissue heating results and the use of such dental implants is safe.
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