Can You Sell Gold Teeth?
Times are tough, and people are looking for ways to get some extra cash. They may have some old dental gold lying around and wonder, “Can you sell gold teeth?” The answer is yes! In fact, gold teeth may be worth more than most people expect.
The amount buyers will pay for a gold tooth depends entirely on the gold content of the piece and the current market price of gold. For individuals interested in selling gold teeth, the following information covers everything they need to know.
In a nutshell
You can sell gold teeth due to their precious metal content. The payout amount is based on the purity and weight of the dental gold, as well as the current market value of gold. Locations to sell dental gold to include pawn shops, local jewelers, and online gold buyers. You can increase your sale amount if you include other scrap gold, such as class rings, broken gold chains, or a single earring.
What Is Dental Gold?
Dental gold refers to gold-containing alloys used in dental procedures, including crowns, bridges, inlays, and certain implants.
Dental professionals do not use pure gold in dentistry. Pure 24 karat gold would be unsuitable because it is too soft to withstand the daily force of chewing.
Instead, dentists use gold alloy — combinations of gold with other metals such as silver, copper, palladium, or platinum — to create a stronger, more durable material. These alloys resist corrosion and wear and are biocompatible, meaning they do not typically irritate the body.
The gold content of dental alloys varies widely. Some older or premium crowns are considered “high noble” alloys, with a minimum of 60 percent precious metals, and at least 40 percent must be gold.
Contemporary semi-precious (noble alloy) dental gold pieces range from 10 karat to 18 karat, with an average of 25% precious metal, including gold.
How Much Are Gold Teeth Worth?
Gold teeth are worth as much as the precious metals that make up the dental gold. Dental gold includes more than just teeth, though. Here is a breakdown of common pieces and their average gold composition:
- 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
How Much Can I Get Paid for My Gold Teeth?
Gold buyers calculate their offers based on three factors: purity (karat), weight, and the current spot price of gold. The final number is called the melt value.
No gold buyer will ever pay the full melt value when purchasing gold. Businesses pay a percentage of the price to account for their operating expenses. They must still turn a profit.
Precious metals recovered from gold teeth require refinement. After this process, the precious metals can find new applications such as jewelry, investments, other medical uses, and sometimes even tech applications. The process itself, however, costs a significant amount of money to complete.
To boost a gold sale, look around for pieces of unwanted gold people don’t often consider: class rings, broken chains, a single earring, a bent-up band. Gold buyers may pay more for larger lots as it lowers their operating expenses.
To understand the payout for dental gold, let’s use a 14K dental crown weighing 2 grams as an example. Here’s how the value breaks down:
Gold Purity:
14K gold is 58% pure, so only a portion of the crown is actually gold.
2 grams × 0.58 = 1.16 grams of pure gold
Gold Market Price:
If gold is trading at $120 per gram, for example, then:
1.16 grams × $120 = $139.20 in raw gold value
Realistic Payout After Refining:
Because of the cost of refining, businesses will pay less than the market price. Trustworthy buyers typically pay 60-80% of the gold’s value, while some may pay higher. A conservative estimate would be:
Payout range: $83.52-$110.40
For a more comprehensive breakdown of dental gold values, visit our post How Much is Dental Gold Worth? To learn what your dental gold is worth, use our free Dental Gold Calculator here:
Dental Gold Value Calculator
Current Market Value:
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Average Pawn Shop Offer:
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Alloy’s Minimum Offer:
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Should I Sell My Gold Teeth?
Yes! Dental gold serves no purpose once removed from someone’s mouth. Unless someone is going to refine the gold themselves, it makes sense to sell it and extract its value. Selling it also allows the precious metals to return to the cycle of use, rather than sitting in a drawer somewhere.
Who Buys Gold Teeth?
Sellers have a few options for selling gold teeth. Local pawn shops and jewelry buyers exist in most cities and purchase gold by weight. These buyers accept gold dental work along with other scrap materials. The advantage is immediate payment. The disadvantage is that they may pay a lower percentage than other buyers because of higher overhead.
Local buyers may lack advanced testing equipment and estimate purity using basic methods, such as acid testing, which dissolves scratches on a tile to indicate karat. Without a more reliable method, such as the industry-standard X-ray fluorescence (XRF), they may underestimate the precious metal content, thereby lowering the offer amount.
Online gold buyers are another option for selling. Companies such as The Alloy Market provide mail-in kits for gold items. Sellers can ship gold dental material and other scrap gold to the buyer for evaluation using XRF technology, in conjunction with an acid test, for a more accurate reading.
The downside of online gold buyers is that sellers have to ship their items for valuation, so payment takes a little more time than when they use a local buyer. However, the payout is typically higher, so for many, the tradeoff is worth it.
Selling Dental Gold With the Alloy Market
At Alloy, we buy tons of dental gold. To maximize their returns, customers often include other scrap gold they have no use for. Many include items such as class rings, tangled gold chains, bent rings, or even a single earring for appraisal. Doing so means our average payout is $ 1,500!
When you sell gold items to The Alloy Market, we make the entire process as simple as possible. Just request a free Appraisal Kit, pack your items in the postage-paid parcel, and ship them to us. We’ll cover tracking and insurance to protect your items in transit.
On the day your items are received, we will inspect them for purity and weight and send you an offer right away. Once you accept, we initiate payment the same day! If you decline, we’ll ship your items back to you at no cost.
If you have questions at any time, you can reach out to your assigned Alloy Advisor. They are happy to assist!
Final Thoughts
Gold dental work that once discarded or forgotten holds real monetary value. The key is understanding the gold content and choosing the right buyer. Individuals who want to sell gold teeth can request a free Appraisal Kit to determine the value of their dental gold.
