Using Gold in Dental Care
In recent years, the public has come under attack by all types of industry specific advertising. The pharmaceutical industry, for example, has spent millions of dollars to make patients ask doctors for drugs by name. Dentistry is no different. In many periodicals and on television news spots, there are a tremendous number of “new” and “state of the art” dental restorations being promoted. Most of these products are often compared, often in fine print, to gold as the standard. For many years gold has been the standard to which alternative materials have been measured for good reason.
Gold possesses many similar qualities to natural tooth structure; it expands and contracts to temperature changes very close to that of tooth structure, a vital concern for comfort and durability. Gold is also comparable to enamel in its wear. Materials too soft will quickly abrade out of occlusion and can cause one’s bite to collapse; conversely too hard a material can do just the same damage by wearing away the opposing tooth.
Gold is also very forgiving as a dental restoration in that it can be polished right into the tooth structure, and can actually gain a better and better fit with subsequent polishing over time. It is not uncommon to see well-designed gold restorations lasting more than thirty years and still possessing great fit.
Gold restorations can actually be very cosmetic as well! Obviously, for front teeth or highly noticeable areas, other materials would most likely be recommended. In many cases however, because of its versatility, restorations can be used to replace missing side or inner walls and be completely hidden from site.
Finally, gold is one of the most biocompatible materials for dentistry. Our practice continually strives to provide our patients with the healthiest as well as most durable restorations available. For years, we have offered our patients compatibility testing to a vast assortment of dental materials. In many instances we are able to use 99% pure gold for restorations. Gold is a highly dependable material that has very little reactivity issues with even the most sensitive/ allergic patients.
