Dental gold is an alloy, not pure gold, and the gold content varies a lot from one crown to the next. Clean and weigh it, sell to a buyer who will test or refine it, and expect the offer to depend on the test result.
What dental gold is
“Dental gold” means old crowns, bridges, inlays and caps made with a gold-colored metal. People often keep them after a dentist replaces them, or find them among a relative’s things.
Dental metal is almost never pure gold. Dentists use alloys, which are mixes of metals. Pure gold is too soft to stand up to chewing, so other metals are added to make it stronger.
What it can contain
US regulations group dental casting metals into two kinds:
- Noble metal alloys, made mostly of precious metals such as gold, palladium, platinum and silver.
- Base metal alloys, made mostly of ordinary metals such as nickel, cobalt and chromium. These contain little or no precious metal.
Within the noble alloys, the share of gold varies a lot. Some are yellow and rich in gold. Others contain more palladium or silver than gold. Some white or silver-colored crowns contain no gold at all, while others contain platinum or palladium, which also have value.
This is why you can’t tell how much a crown is worth just by looking at it. Color is only a rough hint.
Why the value is hard to guess
Several things make dental gold different from jewelry:
- No stamp. Crowns and bridges almost never carry a karat mark.
- Mixed metals. Value can come from gold, platinum, palladium and silver together.
- Porcelain and tooth. Many crowns have porcelain fused over a metal base, or still have bits of tooth or cement attached. That material adds weight but no value.
Because of all this, most buyers either test the metal or melt and assay it before paying. An assay is a lab test that measures exactly how much of each metal is present. See how gold buyers test your gold.
Getting it ready
- Ask your dentist. If you’re having a gold crown replaced, ask whether you can keep the old one.
- Clean it gently. Wear gloves. Soak the pieces in a household disinfectant or hot soapy water, then rinse and dry them. You don’t need to scrape off cement or porcelain; the buyer will account for it.
- Keep it separate. Don’t mix dental pieces with your jewelry. They are tested and priced differently.
- Weigh it. Use a scale that reads to 0.1 gram or better. See how to weigh gold at home and the scales on our tools page. Write the weight down.
What to expect from an offer
Because the gold content is unknown, an honest buyer can’t give you a firm price until the metal is tested. Expect one of these:
- A tested offer. The buyer tests the metal, often with an XRF machine, and makes an offer based on the result.
- A refining settlement. The buyer or refiner melts your pieces, assays the metal, and pays based on the actual gold, platinum, palladium and silver found. This takes longer but is the most accurate.
Ask what weight they used and whether the porcelain and tooth were subtracted. Ask whether they’re paying for platinum and palladium as well as gold.
Estimating a rough range
You can get a rough idea with the gold calculator. Enter the weight and try a low karat, such as 10K, and a higher one, such as 16K or 18K. The real value could fall below or above that range depending on the actual mix, so treat it only as a starting point.
Where to sell
The same buyers who purchase scrap gold usually take dental gold, but not all of them test it carefully. Buyers who work with refiners, and refiners that accept small lots from individuals, are often the best fit. See where to sell gold.
Before agreeing to anything:
- Ask how they test dental gold, and whether you can see the result.
- For mail-in sales, ask for insured shipping and the right to have your items returned free if you decline the offer.
- Get a written receipt with the weight and the price.
Quick summary
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Is dental gold pure gold? | No, it’s always an alloy |
| Is it marked with a karat? | Almost never |
| Can silver-colored crowns have value? | Sometimes, if they contain platinum or palladium |
| How is it priced? | By test or assay, not by looks |
These figures are estimates only. A test or assay decides the real value.