More modern materials, like porcelain and ceramic, are popular today because their color offers a more natural look and is less noticeable. Gold crowns, on the other hand, are hard to miss.
That being said, there are numerous benefits of gold crowns that you can’t find with any other material. These benefits include:
- High resistance to corrosion.
- A quality seal to the tooth, preventing further decay or leakage.
- A minimal amount of tooth removal.
- Fracture-resistance.
- High tolerance for biocompatibility.
Gold crowns also last much longer than other fillingsls, but obviously come with a large price tag. Fortunately, their longevity means you can sell them for a lucrative price when it’s time for a replacement.
There are several variables that determine how much your dental gold can sell for. The main determiners are the gold’s quality, quantity, and current selling price.
Most dentists create gold crowns using an alloy of gold and another metal. Sometimes the alloy material they use comes from another precious metal like silver, platinum, or palladium, which increases its overall value. Other times, it’s a non-valuable metal, such as nickel.
This raises the question—how much gold is actually in a gold crown? It depends on the dentist and the reason for the crown, filling, or bridge. Most crowns are between 10-karat (40 percent) and 22-karat (92 percent) gold, but for smaller dental work, pure gold may be used.
More gold means more money. A higher percentage of gold in your crown’s alloy is one way of measuring gold, but perhaps the most obvious qualifier is the size of the crown itself. Even if you have a smaller cap that’s 24-karat gold, a dental bridge that’s only 20-karat gold may still be worth more.
The current selling price of gold is an obvious indicator, but it’s hard to manage since the value is constantly fluctuating. Luckily, there are resources to help check the spot price of gold, the current price that a raw ounce of gold can be bought and sold for immediate delivery. In the last year, the price of an ounce of gold rose from $1,300 to over $1,700.
For years people have held onto their old dental gold as a souvenir and memorabilia, but more and more people are looking to sell them.
The Great Recession between 2007 and 2009 saw the price of gold soar past $1,000 for the first time. Many people saw this as an opportunity to sell those tiny pieces of gold they might have tucked into a drawer for some quick cash.
But why does the price of gold surge during economic downturns? Generally, the price of gold is inversely related to the U.S. dollar, since the United States moved away from the gold standard back in 1971. When inflation ratchets up and the dollar’s value decreases, gold gains value.
As people lose their jobs or see significant pay cuts because of recession, many turn to selling gold jewelry and crowns as a way to combat the value lost from the dollar.
We’re seeing this happen again as the economy takes a hit from COVID-19. With businesses forced to temporarily close their doors and let go of their employees, they’re looking for ways to pay their bills and balance their bank accounts. Gold prices steadily went up over the first four months of 2020, increasing by about $200 since the beginning of the year.
When a dental office closes, whether because of bad business or the dentist’s retirement, a heap of dental scrap is often left behind. These scraps are far from worthless; while the exact price will obviously vary, selling them is a great way to get some extra cash, as you’re closing shop.
Maybe you forgot you even had gold crowns laying around until you started cleaning out your bedside drawer. You may have kept them as memorabilia, but over time they’ve lost their sentiment and aren’t much more than some tiny golden rocks. Instead of throwing them away, selling them can offer some extra pocket money.
If you’re looking to sell your dental gold, CrownBuyers is a trusted buyer for hundreds of dentists and customers alike. We make selling your gold crowns and bridges as streamlined as possible. Here is what you need to know.
Don’t worry about any pieces of ceramic, porcelain, or tooth that are still attached to your dental gold. Removing those tiny pieces can be a difficult and time-consuming process, and CrownBuyers is prepared to handle additional material in this condition.
Once you’ve gathered the dental gold you want to sell, it’s time to order a GoldPak. We will send you a puncture-proof envelope to safely stash your gold crowns and bridges. Send that GoldPak back to us, where we will weigh your gold and analyze its contents so we can pay you top dollar.
Upon receiving your gold, we will send a confirmation email that will include our proposed payment amount based on the gold that you sent us. If you accept that proposal, we can either send a check with that amount to your address, or pay you through a PayPal account.
Since the launch of our dental gold buying service five years ago, CrownBuyers has established trusted relationships with both customers and dentists in over 30 states. We ensure the price we offer to all of our customers is the best in the market. Not only that, but with every piece of dental gold we buy, we give a portion of our remaining share to America’s Tooth Fairy, an organization that specializes in oral care for children in need. So be sure to contact CrownBuyers today to get your free GoldPak and discover how much gold is in your gold crown.