Trade In Your Old Gold Teeth for Cash!

By Kathleen Hauser

Published on May 06, 2008

A weak dollar, surging crude oil prices, and the threat of a recession are all causing Americans to panic at the realization that they may not be able to make ends meet in the near future. Increasing financial worries have caused many of us to cut back on excess spending and scramble to bolster our coffers with some wise investments. For today’s investors, there is no safer bet than good old gold, and Americans have recently faced a barrage of tacky television and radio commercials encouraging them to trade in their old gold for some cold, hard cash.

Not one of the lucky dogs whose grandma left them enough gold broaches, knick-knacks, and paddywacks to fund that Mediterranean cruise? Well, for some of us, enough gold to fund at least a deluxe run to 7-11 may be found right under our noses—literally. With the price of gold recently reaching a record high of nearly $1,000 an ounce, many people are trading old gold dental fixtures for some much-needed cash.

While dental crowns, bridges, and fillings are mostly made from resin composite or mercury amalgam these days, in the past many of our dental restorations were made from -16-carat gold. Despite the recent popularity of dental bling in the form of golden grilles, most patients nowadays prefer natural-looking composite restorations over the metal-mouth look. Making the switch from gold to metal-free dental restorations not only makes for a more natural-looking smile, but it can also help patients bring in a little extra dough. The average gold dental crown usually contains roughly one-tenth of an ounce of gold, which can sell for $40 to $50 in most American markets.

Got a mouth full of gold? If you are planning a rush to the dentist to have it all pulled and replaced, you may want to rethink things a bit. While you could trade in your old gold for cash, it is important to note that most modern restorations contain so little actual gold that it is rarely worth selling. Furthermore, a new porcelain dental crown may cost you anywhere from $500 to $3,000, and the cost is rarely covered by insurance. Still, if you have a stash of old gold teeth hidden somewhere, now may be a good time to trade those chompers in for a tasty sum.

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