Dental Gold (Dental Alloy)
Also: Dental alloy, Dental metal, Scrap gold from the dentist
Dental gold refers to precious-metal dental alloys used in dentistry for crowns, bridges and inlays, which on recycling yield valuable metals such as gold, platinum and palladium.
Dental gold is not pure gold but a precious-metal dental alloy engineered specifically for use inside the human mouth. The demands are strict: the material must be corrosion-resistant, biocompatible, dimensionally stable and durable under long-term load. Such alloys have been used for decades in crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays and telescopic dentures. Anyone who owns old dental gold - from their own mouth or from a relative's estate - can sell it to a refinery or a precious-metal buyer and receive the melt value based on the current gold price.
Composition: three classes of dental alloy
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 |
| Reduced-gold alloy | 25-60 % | Pd, Ag, Cu | Lower-cost crowns, partial dentures |
| Non-precious (base metal) | 0 % | Cr, Co, Ni, Mo | Base-metal alloys (not dental gold) |
High-gold alloys often contain, besides gold, platinum (for strength and tarnish resistance), palladium (raises the melting point and improves hardness), silver (a cheaper filler) and small amounts of copper, zinc or indium to fine-tune casting and processing properties.
Reduced-gold alloys (precious-metal alloys without high gold) are often built on a palladium-silver base system with comparatively little gold. Even so, their precious-metal content is far higher than that of jewellery made from 333 gold.
Why use precious metal at the dentist at all?
The physical and chemical properties of precious metals make them particularly suited to dentistry:
- Corrosion resistance: in the saliva environment with changing pH and temperatures (10-60 C), precious metals barely rust or oxidise.
- Biocompatibility: high-gold alloys are considered very well tolerated; allergic reactions are rare (unlike nickel-bearing base-metal alloys).
- Workability: dental gold can be cast, ground and polished precisely - vital for a snug restoration of a prepared tooth.
- Longevity: well-made dental gold can last for decades.
Since the 1990s, all-ceramic crowns and zirconium-oxide restorations have gained ground (tooth-coloured, metal-free aesthetics). Gold consumption in dental technology has declined since, but it still accounts globally for a noticeable share of gold demand.
Calculating the melt value of dental gold
The value of dental gold comes from the fine weight of the precious metals it contains, multiplied by their daily prices. Because dental gold usually consists of several metals, each must be valued separately.
Melt value = (gross weight x gold fraction x gold price)
+ (gross weight x palladium fraction x palladium price)
+ (gross weight x platinum fraction x platinum price)
+ ...
Example: a crown weighing 2.0 g made from an alloy with 75 % gold, 10 % palladium and 5 % platinum:
- Gold: 2.0 g x 0.75 = 1.50 g fine gold
- Palladium: 2.0 g x 0.10 = 0.20 g fine palladium
- Platinum: 2.0 g x 0.05 = 0.10 g fine platinum
The actual payout ranges, depending on the buyer, from 75-90 % of the calculated melt value. You can work out the full melt value with the dental gold calculator or the general melt value calculator based on the current gold price.
Selling: how the process works
- Collect: keep crowns, bridges and inlays once they have been removed by the dentist. Dental practices should hand removed restorations back to the patient.
- Identify: a visual check (high-gold = yellowish-golden; reduced-gold = whitish-silvery). No reliable conclusion without analysis.
- Get a quote: buyers (refineries, precious-metal dealers, online buyers) usually quote a flat per-gram price based on the visible alloy class or run an X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF).
- Analysis and payout: reputable refineries melt the material down, analyse the alloy precisely and pay based on the actual fineness determined.
Note on tax (Ireland): a gain on selling scrap or dental gold as a private individual may be liable to Capital Gains Tax at 33 %, after the annual personal exemption of EUR 1,270. Unlike Germany, Ireland has no one-year holding-period relief. This is a general note, not tax advice; if in doubt, consult a tax adviser or the Revenue Commissioners.
Dental gold and recycling
Dental gold is a significant component of scrap gold recycling. Substantial quantities of dentally used precious metals arise worldwide each year - from practices, dental laboratories and crematorium residues. Refineries melt the material down, separate the metals pyrometallurgically or hydrometallurgically and recover pure gold, palladium and platinum. This secondary material flows back into precious-metal production and eases the demand on primary resources.
In short
Dental gold is a complex precious-metal alloy with gold, palladium and platinum as the value-defining components - the actual worth depends on the exact fineness and the daily price of every metal present. Anyone wishing to sell old dental gold should work out the melt value first and compare offers from several reputable buyers.