I was wondering if anybody knows the difference between a MRI and Tomograms x-rays? I am planning on getting some tests done on my tmj and I want to know what condition my joints/muscles are in...what machine is a better diagnoistic tool to get a proper diagnosis of the joints? Anybody know?...I would appreciate some good information on this subject.
Hi Sandi:
Every dentists office I have called regarding treatment for my TMJ have all said they will need an MRI so that lead me to believe that MRIs show them more of what they are looking for.
Tiffany
My tmj specialist ran a tomograph at the office and sent me for an mri also. the xray isn't as informative as the mri is and also the mri is studied and a written report is done by a technician on your joints.
Thanks to you both for your information. It seems the MRI is the best option for determining what shape the joints/muscles are in. But I have heard reports before that MRI are not that reliable to read...that they don't give a accurate diagnosis. Like, I read somewhere, that one patient had it done, and it was read by his dentist, and his dentist made a opinion about the results...later the patient took those same MRI report to another dentist and that dentist read it differently...a different opinion. So, it makes me wonder if the MRI is really better than the tomograms.
Do either of you have any more thoughts on this thing? Do you know how I can find more information on MRI and Tomograms on the internet. I tried 'diágnosis tests' on search...but nothing much. Anything you guys know?
I did some searching on the difference between the Tomographic imaging (CAT) scan and MRI tests. The difference is..."MRI has some advantages over a CAT scan because it does not use x-rays. They provide better contrast, which helps to distingush between normal and diseased tissue and MRIs do not show confusing bone artifacts. It provides highly detailed information without exposing the body to radiation. In many instances, it provides more useful images than CAT scanning and ultrasound".
MRI's are definitely the best tests out there. As far as we know, they are not harmful like x-rays are and they show your soft tissues, which x-rays don't. X-rays are only useful in showing problems with your bones. The thing with MRI's is that they are a little complicated to read. A lot of the radiologists who read the MRI's are not familiar with every type of problem that there is. They usually just look at the MRI's quickly and only notice the big things. I have had MRI's come out normal and then had a specialist doc read them and tell me what was wrong. I recently had an MRI done on my knee. I diagnosed myself based on my symptoms by looking online. I got the actual MRI films and I did a search online and found a website showing MRI images with problems. And what I had matched EXACTLY what was shown online (and it was what I thought I had based on the symptoms). The MRI report came out normal. I went to 3 doctors who read the MRI and confirmed that it was indeed not normal and I'm going to need to have surgery. They dismissed the MRI report, saying that an MRI is only a diagnostic test and that everyone reads it differently. They are not very clearcut to read. The docs look at what they called "signal changes" to see what's wrong. That's why different docs can see different things wrong with you. The best thing to do is to get your MRI films and then have a few doctors decide what the problem is. Don't rely on one doctor or on the radiologist. If the MRI comes out normal and you continue to have pain and problems, go to a specialist who actually knows how to read MRI's. Some of these docs, esp the dentists, claim that they know how to read MRI's when they really don't. A lot will only look at the few images that look like x-rays and they don't always tell you much.
hope this helps.
-Stacie
Thanks so much for your information! That's the kind of information I was trying to get. You said you had searched online and found a website showing MRI images with problems...seems interesting. What website was that...can you remember? When I do get my MRI results, I will get another opinion on it...maybe the other doctors in the same dental practice because there are 5 specalist in this
office...maybe each one can give a opinion on it?
Thank you again, and get back to me, if you can, o.k?
MRI or Tomograms? 
