Dental Gold (Dental Alloy)
Also: Dental alloy, Dental metal, Dental gold, Scrap gold from dental practice
Dental gold refers to precious-metal-containing dental alloys used in dentistry for crowns, bridges and inlays, which yield valuable precious metals such as gold, platinum and palladium when recycled.
Dental gold is not pure gold, but a precious-metal-containing dental alloy developed specifically for use in the human mouth. The requirements are stringent: the material must be corrosion-resistant, biocompatible, dimensionally stable and permanently load-bearing. Such alloys have been used for decades in crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays and telescopic dentures. Anyone in possession of old dental gold – from their own mouth or that of a relative – can sell it to a refinery or precious metal dealer and receive the melt value based on the current gold price.
Composition: Three Classes of Dental Alloys
Dentistry distinguishes dental alloys by their precious metal content into three main classes:
| Class | Gold content | Other precious metals | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-gold alloy | 60–85 % | Pt, Pd, Ag | Crowns, bridges, inlays |
| Gold-reduced alloy | 25–60 % | Pd, Ag, Cu | Lower-cost crowns, partial dentures |
| Non-precious (NPM) | 0 % | Cr, Co, Ni, Mo | Base metal alloys (not dental gold) |
High-gold alloys frequently contain, in addition to gold, platinum (for strength and tarnish protection), palladium (raises the melting point and improves hardness), silver (less expensive extender) and small amounts of copper, zinc or indium to adjust casting and processing properties.
Gold-reduced alloys (also precious metal alloys without high gold) often consist of a palladium-silver base system with comparatively little gold. Their precious metal content is nevertheless far above that of jewellery with 333 gold.
Why Precious Metal at the Dentist at All?
The physical and chemical properties of precious metals make them particularly suitable for dentistry:
- Corrosion resistance: In the saliva environment with fluctuating pH values and temperatures (10–60 °C), precious metals barely rust or oxidise.
- Biocompatibility: High-gold alloys are considered very well tolerated; allergic reactions are rare (in contrast to nickel-containing base metal alloys).
- Workability: Dental gold can be precisely cast, ground and polished – important for the accurate fitting of a prepared tooth.
- Durability: Well-processed dental gold can last for decades.
Since the 1990s, all-ceramic crowns and zirconia restorations have gained in significance (tooth-coloured, metal-free aesthetics). Gold consumption in dental technology has declined since then, but still accounts globally for a notable share of gold demand.
Calculating the Melt Value of Dental Gold
The value of dental gold is derived from the fine weight of the precious metals it contains, multiplied by their daily prices. Since dental gold generally consists of several metals, each must be valued separately.
Melt value = (gross weight × gold content × gold price)
+ (gross weight × palladium content × palladium price)
+ (gross weight × platinum content × platinum price)
+ ...
Example: A crown with a gross weight of 2.0 g from an alloy containing 75 % gold, 10 % palladium and 5 % platinum:
- Gold: 2.0 g × 0.75 = 1.50 g fine gold
- Palladium: 2.0 g × 0.10 = 0.20 g fine palladium
- Platinum: 2.0 g × 0.05 = 0.10 g fine platinum
The actual payout depends on the buyer and is typically 75–90 % of the calculated melt value. You can determine the full melt value using the dental gold calculator or the general melt value calculator based on the current gold price.
Purchasing: How the Sale Process Works
- Collect: Keep crowns, bridges and inlays after removal at the dentist. Dental practices are obliged to hand removed restorations over to the patient.
- Identify: Visual inspection (high gold = yellowish-golden; gold-reduced = whitish-silver). No reliable assessment without analysis.
- Get a quote: Buyers (refineries, precious metal dealers, online buyers) usually quote flat-rate prices per gram based on the visible alloy class, or carry out X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF).
- Analysis and payment: Reputable refineries melt the material, analyse the alloy precisely and pay based on the actually determined fineness.
Note on taxes: Profits from the sale of dental gold may in certain circumstances be subject to tax as a private disposal transaction (Section 23 German Income Tax Act) if less than one year has elapsed between acquisition and sale. This is a note – not tax or investment advice; please consult a tax adviser if in doubt.
Dental Gold and Recycling
Dental gold is an important component of scrap gold recycling. Globally, significant quantities of precious metals used in dentistry arise each year – from practices, dental technology laboratories and cremation residues. Refineries melt the material, separate the metals pyrometallurgically or hydrometallurgically, and recover pure gold, palladium and platinum. This secondary material flows back into precious metal production, thereby conserving primary resources.
In Brief
Dental gold is a complex precious metal alloy with gold, palladium and platinum as the value-determining components – the actual value depends on the precise fineness and the daily price of all metals contained. Anyone wishing to sell old dental gold should calculate the melt value in advance and compare offers from several reputable buyers.