How Much is Dental Gold Worth?
In a nutshell:
The average dental gold item weighs 3.5 grams and is made of 18 karat gold, which is 75% gold content. Based on the current gold price per gram of ($) as of , the average value of a dental gold item is $7.00. But you can expect to get around 40-70% of the actual value when you sell it, for a total of around $2.80 – $4.90 on average per dental gold item that you sell.
Keep reading to learn more about dental gold, what it is and how to calculate it’s value. In this article we will also cover the most common types of dental gold and include a calculator to give you an idea of how much your dental gold could be worth.
What is Dental Gold?
Dental gold is a specialized type of gold alloy used in dentistry for various dental procedures, including fillings, crowns, and bridges. This precious metal is valued for its unique properties, such as biocompatibility, durability, and malleability, which make it an ideal choice for dental restorations.
Dentists use gold for fillings because it is highly resistant to corrosion and tarnishing, ensuring that the restoration remains intact and functional for a long time.
Additionally, gold has a similar wear rate to natural tooth enamel, reducing the risk of damage to surrounding teeth. Its excellent biocompatibility also means that gold is less likely to cause allergic reactions or other adverse effects in patients.
Overall, dental gold offers a reliable and long-lasting solution for various dental treatments, making it a popular choice among dental professionals.
How Much Gold is in Dental Gold Worth?
Dental gold crowns often use dental alloys with a karat value ranging from 10 to 22.
The gold karat system is a method used to measure the purity of gold by indicating the proportion of gold in an alloy. The system uses a scale from 1 to 24, with 24 karats representing pure gold. Each karat represents 1/24th of the whole, so one karat is equivalent to approximately 4.167% gold content.
For example, if you have a 14-karat gold item, it means that 14 parts out of 24 are pure gold, and the remaining 10 parts are made up of other metals. To calculate the gold content percentage, you can divide the karat number by 24 and multiply by 100. In this case, 14/24 x 100 = 58.33%, which means a 14-karat gold item contains 58.33% pure gold.
Similarly, an 18-karat gold item has 18 parts gold and 6 parts other metals. To find the gold content percentage, you would calculate 18/24 x 100 = 75%, meaning an 18-karat gold item contains 75% pure gold.
Understanding the gold karat system is essential when selling or buying gold items, as it helps determine the value based on the purity of the gold content.
Dental Gold Vs Pure Gold
The composition of dental gold is different to that of pure gold. The main difference between pure gold and dental gold is in their composition. Let’s start with pure gold. Pure gold is a precious metal with a chemical symbol of Au and an atomic number of 79. It is typically yellow in color and is valued for its rarity, luster, and malleability.
Pure gold is often measured in karats, with 24-karat gold being the purest form.
Dental gold, on the other hand, is not pure gold.
Instead, it is a specialized gold alloy that contains a mixture of gold and other metals such as silver, platinum, palladium, and sometimes copper or zinc. These additional metals are added to enhance the properties of gold, making it more suitable for dental applications.
The reason dental gold contains more precious metals than pure gold is due to the specific requirements of dental restorations. Dental gold needs to be strong, durable, and resistant to corrosion and tarnishing.
By adding other precious metals to the mix, the resulting alloy possesses improved mechanical properties that make it ideal for use in dental procedures.
For instance, adding metals like silver and copper can increase the strength and hardness of the gold alloy, while platinum and palladium can enhance its resistance to corrosion and tarnishing.
The inclusion of these metals also contributes to the biocompatibility of dental gold, reducing the risk of allergic reactions and other adverse effects in patients.
Where to Sell Dental Gold for Cash!
There are several options for selling your dental gold, the most popular being locally and online. At the Alloy Market, you can rest assured that you will receive the best value in the market for your dental gold. Alloy Market prides itself on offering fair and transparent pricing to its customers with an easy online process.
When it comes to selling scrap dental gold for cash – we utilize state-of-the-art technology and equipment to accurately assess the weight and purity of your dental gold, ensuring that you get the most accurate valuation possible.
Our knowledgeable staff will guide you through the entire process, answering any questions you may have and providing you with a seamless and hassle-free experience.
When you choose to sell your dental gold to the Alloy Market, you can trust that you are getting the highest return for your valuable assets, allowing you to cash in on your investment with confidence and peace of mind.
How Much Money will I get for my Dental Gold?
The price of gold fluctuates daily, so to better understand the value of your scrap dental gold you’ll need to look at three factors:
- The type of dental item you have
- The weight of the item
- How many karats it is
Let’s look at an example for calculating the price for a 2 gram, 16 karat gold crown:
At the time of writing this article, the price of gold was $2445.24 per ounce and $78.62 per gram. The current price of gold is:
$84.340 per gram
To calculate the value of a two gram 16 karat crown we can use the following formula:
Gold Value Calculation
Value= Weight × Gold Purity × Gold Price
Here’s the step-by-step calculation:
- Weight of the gold crown: 2 grams
- Gold purity: 66.7% (which is 0.667 in decimal form)
- Price of gold per gram: $78.62
Plugging these values into the formula:
Value= 2 grams × 0.667 × 78.62 $/gram
Calculation:
Value= 2 × 0.667 × $78.62
Value= 1.334 × $78.62
Value= 1.334× $78.62
Total Value = $104.87
So 16k gold crown weighing 2 grams is made up of 66.7% gold. Since the price of a gram of gold at the time or writing this article is $78.62 we can calculate that at 66.7% gold content is equivalent to a value of $104.87.
A 3-gram 18k gold crown is made up of 75% gold and with the same calculations as above it would be worth around $176.89
Gold buyers don’t pay the full price for gold dental items, as there is cost for processing and reproposing the gold. So you can’t expect to get the full value above. Many gold buyers pay as low as 20% of the current price with pawn shops paying an average of around 40%. At Alloy, we pay a minimum of 70% of the market spot price for your gold items.
This is a lot of math to do, in order to calculate the price, so we made it a little simpler. To get an estimate of the value of your dental gold, look at the most common types of dental gold and then based on what you have, you can enter the value into the dental gold value calculator shown further down in the page.
Most Common Types of Dental Gold
Gold Crowns: 2-5 grams, 16K-20K (most commonly 18K).
Gold Bridges: 2-5 grams per unit, 6-15 grams for full bridges, 16K-20K (most commonly 18K).
Gold Inlays/Onlays: 1-3 grams, 18K-20K.
Gold Foil Fillings: <1 gram, 24K.
Gold Posts and Cores: 1-2 grams, 16K-18K.
Gold Partial Dentures: 5-10 grams or more, 16K-18K.
Now that you have your values based on the chart above, plug them into the calculator below to get a rough estimate of how much your items are worth.
Dental Gold Value Calculator
Current Market Value:
$0.00
Average Pawn Shop Offer:
$0.00
Alloy’s Minimum Offer:
$0.00
We hope you found this article and our dental gold value calculator useful. If you have any questions, please reach out to us and an Alloy Advisor can assist you further in determining the value of your dental gold items and provide you with a free estimate.