# How Much Are My Gold Crowns Worth?



## JHuff8181

Not sure if this is the right place for this question but here goes.

I have three gold crowns in my mouth. What are they worth? Could I have them replaced with something less valuable and use the leftover funds to have some other dental work done (no insurance)?


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## beaglebiz

It all depends on the weight and karat. Im guessing they are ten karat? can you ask your dentist?


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## Pam6

Considering how much dentistry work costs and you have no insurance I am not really sure how you can come out on the positive end of changing them out.


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## JHuff8181

Gold $1800

Not trying to come out ahead, just get some other work done.


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## Wisconsin Ann

There's no way to know how much gold is in the crown without having it tested. Dentists have used anywhere from 10kt to 22kt gold for crowns. (usually it's lower kt if the tooth is going to be a grinding surface, like a molar)

if it's 10kt gold, that's 40% gold/60% other metal. so...if the crown weighs 1 oz and gold is valued at $1800, you have 1800 x .40, or $720 worth of gold...IF you can get a spot price for it from a dealer. 

I'd suggest dropping in at a reputable dentist, explain the situation, and finding out what's in your mouth. They should be able to give you a price estimate.


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## Parttimefarmer

Not as much as you think  Very little actually, there is only a tiny overlay of gold. The refiner came in Monday to pick up three so I am quite sure. It will cost you much more to get in the office and get one removed than all three are worth.

If you need work try bartering with your dentist. Don't rip out your crowns, you'll do damage to what's left of those teeth.


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## Harry Chickpea

It would have to be a BIG tooth for there to be an ounce of metal. 1/4 oz would be a lot.

My guess is that you might get $100 to $125 tops per crown. Going through a similar situation here.


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## INFORG

$50-$100 depending on what karat gold it is, but figure 2-3 grams of gold per crown, 28 grams per ounce, and 1 ounce= $1800 , and because it is "dirty" mixed with alloy, it isn't worth anywhere near full gold price. And the smaller the amount you are scrapping, the less it is worth.


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## Pelenaka

You might not be able to switch out fillings without the tooth falling apart. 

If your unable to barter dental services do contact a school of dentistry a.s.a.p. because there is a long waiting list. 


~~ pelenaka ~~


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## Danaus29

Pulling the crowns, antibiotics and dentures will cost way more than the crowns are worth. That's provided you could find a place that will give you an honest price for the gold. 

We took a gold ring to a gold place once. We were offered $24.10 for a 14 k gold band with diamonds. We walked out of the place and about died laughing. They really wanted to buy it but I wasn't about to give it away.


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## edcopp

JHuff8181 said:


> Not sure if this is the right place for this question but here goes.
> 
> I have three gold crowns in my mouth. What are they worth? Could I have them replaced with something less valuable and use the leftover funds to have some other dental work done (no insurance)?


No money will be "left over". Keep your crowns.


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## edcopp

Wisconsin Ann said:


> There's no way to know how much gold is in the crown without having it tested. Dentists have used anywhere from 10kt to 22kt gold for crowns. (usually it's lower kt if the tooth is going to be a grinding surface, like a molar)
> 
> if it's 10kt gold, that's 40% gold/60% other metal. so...if the crown weighs 1 oz and gold is valued at $1800, you have 1800 x .40, or $720 worth of gold...IF you can get a spot price for it from a dealer.
> 
> I'd suggest dropping in at a reputable dentist, explain the situation, and finding out what's in your mouth. They should be able to give you a price estimate.


Why would a dealer pay "spot" price. That is what he can sell it for, He has to make a living too. I know I would not want to risk my cash and work for nothing.


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## NewGround

And keep your mouth closed when passing through back alleys...


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## Wisconsin Ann

Parttimefarmer said:


> Not as much as you think  Very little actually, there is only a tiny overlay of gold. The refiner came in Monday to pick up three so I am quite sure. It will cost you much more to get in the office and get one removed than all three are worth.
> 
> If you need work try bartering with your dentist. Don't rip out your crowns, you'll do damage to what's left of those teeth.


Many of the fillings and crowns that are gold are just that..gold/metal. NOT thin overlays. The overlays are cosmetic things. i've got a small boxfull of fillings and crowns in my workshop..they range from 10kt to 18kt. and they're solid...just not huge. 

but I do agree. unless the crowns are coming out, don't take them out. find another way to barter for your services. Most small town dentists will work with you.


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## beaglebiz

why would a dentist use gold for a filling??
I have heard of it, and seen the Holocaust movies with the pile of gold teeth...but why?


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## City Bound

JHuff8181 said:


> Not sure if this is the right place for this question but here goes.
> 
> I have three gold crowns in my mouth. What are they worth? Could I have them replaced with something less valuable and use the leftover funds to have some other dental work done (no insurance)?


If TSHTF I would suggest never smiling or you might end up toothless.


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## City Bound

They do gold filling in europe a lot . i am not sure why.


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## TnAndy

beaglebiz said:


> why would a dentist use gold for a filling??
> I have heard of it, and seen the Holocaust movies with the pile of gold teeth...but why?


Not used much for fillings, but used quite a bit for crowns.....where the old tooth is ground down to about nothing but a little nub, and a nearly full replacement tooth glued over it. Gold is one of the best materials to use, since it lasts forever ( no corrosion ), is relatively soft and doesn't shatter like porcelin over metal crowns do IF subjected to enough pressure. 

My dentist tells me most dental gold is 16k. I have several Mercedes payments worth of them in my mouth, since I was a "tetracycline" baby....one of those kids in the 50's that that particular antibiotic was used on at a very young age, and as they later found out, (side effects) when my adult teeth came in, they are very soft/yellowish, and I've always had a mouth full of tooth problems. Got a dozen gold, porcelin, and even one plastic crown......so I can give ya the full report on various materials. 

The only time ANYONE gets paid spot or near it, is with pure gold, generally in coin or bar form. ( Actually, most coins will carry a premium, both on buy and sell, and you can actually get 20-30 bucks ABOVE spot, depending on the coin.....see AMPEX "buy" price on their website )

For any gold alloy, about the best ANYBODY gets is about 90% of spot from a refiner, such as Midwest refinery. Individuals would do well to sell to someone like that ( same type place these "we buy gold" places sell ), as they will pay the very most for you alloys.

As others have stated above, I rather seriously doubt you will get enough out of dental gold to justify pulling them for that sake ALONE, but if you're having them pulled anyway, you definitely DO want to hang onto the old crowns.


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## jerrwhy

The short answer is that you won't make anything. Dental fillings are typically 12-16k and there isn't a lot of gold in those things to begin with with. Don't forget to factor in the cost of replacement crowns either.

My wife is a dentist and when she had her private practice she'd replace gold crowns several times a month. There was a scrap metals company that would pay her a visit twice a year and she sell the scrap gold from the crowns; on average she'd make about $10.00 per crown in scrap gold if that. 

Keep in mind that crowns are somewhat labor intensive which translates to wallet intensive for the patient. Personally, if your crowns don't need to be replaced then I wouldn't because you're not going to make any money.


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## bee

What Jerry said about the labor...that is where most of the money goes when you have crowns made and put in..not to the metals involved. I have 9 gold crowns and I did not have mine made with the porcelin enamal because I like the look of the gold. Mine are all far enough back tho that you only see them if I am very happy or about to rip your throat out...LOL!!


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## Parttimefarmer

City Bound said:


> They do gold filling in europe a lot . i am not sure why.


Gold is the best material for fillings. My husband has a mouth of cast gold fillings. Problem is, the vast majority of dentists in the states don't know how to do them (it's an art), and insurance won't pay for it. Also, it's not a one appointment process, so it's more time consuming, since the gold filling is cast and placed.


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## debbiekatiesmom

yes, keep your mouth closed. in tulsa a couple months ago a guy got knocked on the head and his gold teeth ripped out with pliers-seriously!!!


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## Pink_Carnation

When I got a crown my dentist said it would cost the same for porcelin or gold. So even if you kept the crown it would take more money to fix the mess than you could get out of it.


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## Blu3duk

AS a hobby refiner i buy all kinds of gold items from time to time as i can afford them or they become available, rings, eyeglasses [which are gold filled and not worth much more than the acid it takes to recover the gold], bars, coins, computer parts and teeth.

The alloy used for gold teeth is Palladium which is also a precious metal that is valuable, and folks dont get paid for as a general rule when selling gold teeth.... even from a so called reputable refiner who then make further profits from their purchase.... it is not lost in refining. Pd is a little over $700.00 per ounce today and is not hard to sell if you get enough of it, unlike a couple other metals such as rhodium which is used in headlight reflectors VERY thinly. 

When i and other purchase we do not purchase on today's spot price, we average over 30-60-90 days depending on the trends, today i would pay about $35-37.00 per gram of weight on your gold teeth crowns, and most crowns push the scale around 3 grams, not as profitable as one would think, and not worth what it cost to git one put in.

I asked my dentist the other day if he would put in a gold filling for me from the gold i had recovered from the river locally.... as a novel thing to to, his reply was that sounds cool and is contacting his supplier about ding so for me.... probably cost me 3-5 times what it normally would but how many other folks could say they found the gold they have in their mouth.....

Btw i also sell tools to help ya find gold and _"clean up the worlds waterways, one pan at a time"_  My Prospecting supply website i am even on facebook with a page there, though am finding it hard to even get realitves to "like" it.....lol

More questions? ask me, I dont mind sharing what knowledge i have come across over the years.

William
Idaho


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## Freezzer

Normally gold crowns are made of high premium gold:

gold crowns made of 80% gold and up to 90% of gold are common but I know dentists working with lower quality quality like 40% of gold. Such alloys come with palladium.


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## mnn2501

Besides gold lasts on your teeth, porcelain crowns usually crack within 10 years and need to be replaced.


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## unregistered41671

My dentist told me a while back when gold was high, my crowns were worth about $20.00 each. I sure paid a heap more than that.


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## littlebitfarm

Current price on eBay looks like about $65 each.


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## mnn2501

Most of what you're paying for with crowns is labor and the skilled workmanship (along with the dentist's and the crown makers overhead).
You're not going to make anywhere near enough to come out ahead.


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## TnAndy

mnn2501 said:


> Besides gold lasts on your teeth, porcelain crowns usually crack within 10 years and need to be replaced.


What I've found (and I've got a mouth full of both gold/porcelain and even one plastic they made while I waited on a 3D milling machine !) is it is not the crown that fails, but you get decay under the crown, or as happened to me just recently, the tooth breaks, and off comes the crown with a hunk of tooth.

Teeth that you've had a root canal (which this one was) turn brittle over time and tend to break. 

The dentist drilled down into the root canals, pulling out the plug material originally packed in them at the time the root was drilled out, then cements 3 fiber posts in, and built the tooth back up with some sort of material, THEN put a crown on that. He said "that should last you 5-10 years (for $1250), next time you'll have to have the whole thing extracted and an implant put in....$2500"

I used to get gold crowns....now I get what is cheapest.


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## Freezzer

I found interesting information:

http://www.redollar.com/ask-me/how-much-is-dental-gold-worth.html


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