Is My Dental Crown Real Gold? How to Tell — and What It's Worth

Every year, thousands of Arizonans throw away real gold without knowing it. The source: old dental crowns, bridges, and fillings that get discarded after replacement or extraction. If you've had dental work done in the past few decades and held onto the old pieces, you may be sitting on cash you didn't know you had.

Is Dental Gold Actually Gold?

Yes — most dental crowns placed in the United States between the 1960s and early 2000s contain real gold. Dental gold alloys are typically:

• High-noble alloys — contain 60% or more precious metals, with gold as the primary metal. Often 14K–20K equivalent.
• Noble alloys — contain 25–60% precious metals. May include gold, palladium, or platinum.
• Base metal alloys — contain less than 25% precious metals. These are the silver-colored crowns and are much less valuable.

Gold-colored crowns are almost always high-noble alloys. Silver-colored crowns are harder to judge without testing — they could be palladium-heavy noble alloys (still valuable) or base metal (not worth much).

How to Tell if Your Crown Is Gold

The color is the clearest indicator. Gold-colored dental crowns are typically 14K–18K gold alloy. If your extracted crown is yellow or gold-toned, assume it's real gold until tested otherwise.

For silver-colored crowns, the only reliable way to know is testing. An XRF analyzer — which professional precious metals buyers use — can identify the exact composition in seconds without damaging the piece. Don't try home acid tests on dental gold, as the results are unreliable for complex alloys.

What Is Dental Gold Worth?

A single dental crown typically weighs 1.5–3 grams. At 14K purity (58.3% gold) and $3,200/oz gold spot price:

• 2 grams × 0.583 purity = 1.166g pure gold
• 1.166g ÷ 31.1 = 0.0375 troy oz pure gold
• 0.0375 × $3,200 = $120 melt value
• At 85% payout: ~$102 cash

Higher-karat crowns or larger bridges can be worth $150–$300 each. A mouthful of old gold crowns from an estate can easily total $500–$1,500.

What About Palladium in Dental Gold?

Palladium is a platinum-group metal that's more valuable per ounce than gold in some market conditions. Many dental alloys from the 1980s–2000s contain significant palladium content. If you have silver-colored dental work, it's worth having it tested — palladium-rich alloys can be surprisingly valuable.

How to Sell Dental Gold in Arizona

The process is simple. Bring your extracted crowns, bridges, or dental scrap — in any condition, clean or not — to a precious metals buyer. They'll test it with XRF equipment, weigh it, and make you an offer based on actual gold (and palladium) content.

YML Refinery in Youngtown buys dental gold regularly from individual patients and dental offices alike. We test every piece with our XRF analyzer, show you the composition and weight, and pay 80–85% of melt value in cash on the spot. No appointment needed — Mon–Sat 9am–5pm. Call (623) 974-3772 or walk in to 11115 Grand Ave #4, Youngtown.

Dental offices with accumulated scrap are welcome to call ahead — we handle bulk dental gold professionally and provide documentation of the transaction.