These days, if you need a crown on a tooth that has broken or deteriorated, your dentist may suggest porcelain. Dental crowns made of gold have been around for centuries, and they’re still available for people who need to protect a fragile tooth. Gold crowns have some advantages.
Easy on the Mouth
For a crown to be effective, it must fit tightly against the gums. It will also come into contact with other teeth, your tongue, and the inside of your cheek. That’s why it’s important to use a material that won’t irritate or have any adverse effects.
For the vast majority of people, gold crowns won’t cause any negative reactions by soft tissue or other teeth. While metal allergies do exist, they are very rare. Like any other crown, it’s important to brush frequently at the gum line and floss.
Stand Up to Wear
Gold is naturally soft and malleable, so for dental crowns, a gold alloy is used. The gold is mixed with other metals such as silver, palladium, copper, and tin. This strengthens the metal, making it able to stand up to the normal actions of your mouth.
Chewing won’t wear down the crown, and neither will tooth grinding. The acids in the foods you eat, as well as your own saliva, will not corrode the metal or cause stains or deterioration. Gold crowns won’t weaken over time and break if you bite on something hard.
Last a Long Time
Because gold crowns are so durable, they can last much longer than other types of material. Since it fits tightly to the gums, it’s less likely that gaps will form underneath to allow in decay-causing bacteria. On average, a gold crown can last for decades.
However, an accident or problems with surrounding teeth can sometimes mean that a gold crown will need to come off or the tooth underneath will need extraction. This can happen when a bridge is needed or multiple teeth need replacing.
While you can expect your gold crown to last for many years, if you must have it removed, you should save it. Gold crowns and other dental gold can be recycled. There are companies that salvage the metal used in dental practices and buy dental gold from both consumers and dentists.
You can make cash by selling your dental gold. For more information, click here.