Magnetic resonance imaging: Refined to re-find

The hunt for an alternative and naive imaging modality by the clinicians for maxillofacial ailments has laid the foundations for various advancements in dental magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI is progressing for the past few decades from being a technique with great potential to one that has become the primary diagnostic investigation for many clinical problems. It has evolved from a confined diagnostic technique to more feasible and advanced technique for accurate diagnosis. This article reviews the basic principle of MRI, the recent and advanced changes such as the use of sweep imaging in Fourier transform fusion imaging, dynamic imaging, three-dimensional spin echo imaging, area specific magnetic coils, highly sensitive chemical probes, and electron spin resonance imaging to visualize the hard tissues which would be a paradigm shift in maxillofacial diagnosis.