Photo by babasteve
Gold is one of the most durable metals that exists, and it has been used in dentistry for thousands of years. Archaeologists who explored an ancient tomb in Giza found two teeth that had been tied together with gold thread. The tomb dates back to the third millennium BC, and a number of historians believe that this is proof that gold was used in dentristy in Ancient Egypt. Archaeologists have also found gold molars that are over four thousand years old. In China, people of high social standing used gold leaf to decorate the teeth – much like the dental “bling” sported by many famous rappers in this day!
Whether dental gold is being used for decorative purposes or out of necessity, gold is arguably the best material to make replacement teeth with. Gold is highly malleable, which means that it is easy to mould it into a shape which fits the mouth perfectly. In addition, gold is very durable, and gold teeth do not break as easily as other fillings. Gold teeth generally last about twenty years, sometimes much longer. Dental gold has a very smooth surface, and is therefore easy to clean. The gold is also gentle to the opposing teeth, just like your own natural teeth.
24-carat gold is too soft to use as dental gold, so other metals such as nickel, silver, copper and platinum are alloyed with the gold. The most common type of gold used in dentistry is 18-carat gold.
Gold teeth used to be a symbol of high status, because gold was expensive to use in dentistry. You paid not only for the gold itself, but for the methods used to insert the gold tooth. Nowadays, the methods of inserting fillings are more advanced and also less costly, so gold teeth are not as expensive as they once were. It is no longer a symbol of status, and people prefer instead to have fillings that look as natural as possible, made from materials such as porcelain, ceramics and amalgam.
But gold is still a popular choice – and not only among rappers – because gold allergies are very rare, especially compared to allergies to other materials, such as the mercury used in amalgam. Gold is often used for fillings that are not as visible, especially in molars.
Gold teeth used to be an investment – even if a person’s whole fortune was lost, they still had their gold in a safe place! These days, people tend to prefer to invest in shares, but if you have dental gold that you no longer need, don’t hesitate to send it to Postal Gold. The Postal Gold tooth-fairy will help you turn your gold teeth into real money – although in this case it won’t appear under your pillow!
