Dental gold is one of those items that people sometimes overlook when thinking about selling precious metals. Old crowns, bridges, fillings, and inlays made of gold alloys can be genuinely valuable — yet many people throw them away or let them sit in a drawer for years without realizing what they have. At American Gold Buyers, located at 1178 Woodruff Road, Greenville, SC 29607, we regularly purchase dental gold from customers across Greenville, Easley, Greer, and throughout Upstate South Carolina. Call us at (864) 631-1000 with any questions.
What Is Dental Gold?
Dental gold is a general term for the gold alloys used in dentistry to make crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, and partial denture frameworks. Unlike jewelry gold, which is standardized at recognizable karat levels (10K, 14K, 18K), dental gold alloys are formulated for specific clinical properties — biocompatibility, strength, resistance to corrosion, and suitability for bonding to porcelain. As a result, the gold content in dental alloys varies considerably.
How Much Gold Is in Dental Work?
Dental gold alloys generally fall into categories that range from about 40% to 85% gold content. Here is a simplified breakdown:
- High noble alloys: Contain at least 60% noble metals (gold, platinum, palladium) with a minimum of 40% gold. These are the most gold-rich dental alloys.
- Noble alloys: At least 25% noble metals. Gold content can vary widely.
- Base metal alloys: Less than 25% noble metals; typically nickel- or cobalt-based. These contain little to no gold.
Older dental work — particularly crowns and bridges placed before the 1990s — is more likely to be high-gold-content yellow alloy. Modern dentistry has shifted substantially toward porcelain, zirconia, and base metal options, which means old-school gold crowns in older individuals’ dental work often contain significant amounts of precious metal.
Yellow vs White Dental Gold
Yellow dental gold is the easiest to identify: it looks like gold. White dental gold alloys contain significant amounts of palladium or other white metals in addition to gold. Palladium is also a precious metal with market value, so white dental alloys may still be worth selling. If you are unsure what you have, we will test it and tell you the composition.
Where Does Dental Gold Come From?
Customers bring dental gold to us from several sources:
- Old crowns or bridges removed by a dentist during replacement with modern materials
- Dental work removed from a deceased relative
- Collections of crowns saved over years from multiple dental procedures
There is nothing unusual about selling dental gold — it is a standard transaction at precious metals dealers, and the gold is refined and re-enters the supply chain just like any other scrap gold.
How We Process Dental Gold
When you bring dental gold to American Gold Buyers, we weigh it and test it to assess gold content. Because dental alloys are not stamped with a standard karat mark, professional testing is essential for accurate valuation. We use acid testing and electronic verification to characterize the alloy. We then apply a calculation based on estimated gold content and current gold spot prices to make an offer. We pay cash or check.
Is It Worth the Trip?
Even a single crown can be worth a meaningful amount depending on its gold content and weight. Multiple crowns or a bridge can add up to a more substantial sum. Before you assume dental gold is not worth your time, bring it in for a free evaluation. Many customers from Mauldin, Simpsonville, and across the Greenville area have been pleasantly surprised at the value of dental gold they were considering discarding.
Visit American Gold Buyers at 1178 Woodruff Road, Greenville, SC 29607, or call (864) 631-1000. We are happy to evaluate any dental gold you bring in at no charge.