Dentistry

Gold has been used in dentistry for almost 3000 years. The Etruscans in the 7th century BC used gold wire to fix false teeth when their own were lost. In the 16th century an early dental textbook recommended gold leaf for filling cavities.

Gold's malleability and resistance to corrosion make it perfect for dental use, although its softness means that it needs to be alloyed to reduce wearing. The most common companion metals are platinum, silver and copper.

In recent years the price of gold has resulted in a trend towards cheaper alloys (with as little as 30% gold) and towards palladium-based alloys which contain scarcely 2% gold. Gold alloys have also suffered competition from new techniques such as ceramic dental crowns.

In addition, social security payments for gold dental work have come under tighter scrutiny; reductions in such insurance payments make gold use more price-sensitive. These factors initially contributed to a sharp fall in gold use by the dental sector, from 64 tonnes in 1980 to 48 tonnes in 1987. However, there has since been a recovery because of its non-allergic properties; demand has revived to 60 tonnes annually.

Japan is the leading dental gold fabricator, accounting for roughly 28% of the market, followed by Germany and the United States. There is significant unrecorded use, however, in Asia and Latin America where it’s not unknown for dentists to melt down gold coin to make their own alloy.

From gold.org