What is a gold tooth crown?
Gold tooth crowns are the best choice for restoring your back teeth. Fitting a gold crown requires minimal removal of the tooth, the crown fits well and can last for a lifetime.
Gold does not harm the opposing tooth like some other, tougher crowns (really important if you have bruxism/teeth grinding). Gold has two disadvantages: price and esthetics.
Porcelain fused to gold crowns try to overcome the esthetic problems of gold crowns, but in terms of quality, nothing beats a full gold dental crown.
What are the advantages of gold crowns?
Full gold crowns have many advantages – like perfect fit, long-lasting, tooth-saving – that makes them a great choice for tooth restoration. Most dentists like them, but they are not very popular among patients as they do not have much esthetic appeal.
They are suitable for back teeth like the molars, where they are not visible.
Gold dental crowns are especially recommended for patients who are in the habit of biting strong food substances along with clenching and grinding.
These are the most important advantages of gold crowns:
1. Better oral health
If you opt for a gold crown, you can save a lot of your tooth structure.
When you get a crown, your dentist files / trims your tooth so that it holds your crown. Your dentist can trim your tooth lesser if you get a gold crown. So, you will save more of your natural tooth structure, thus, you have better oral health.
2. Better overall health
Your body tolerates gold better than most other popular materials used for your dental treatment. So, you won’t have any nerve problems or bleeding gums because of a gold crown. With the other metal crowns, some people experience these problems when their body cannot tolerate their crown well. Most people are not allergic to gold.
Gold crowns get especially useful as you age. With aging, you may develop allergies and may have reduced immunity. With gold, you have a smaller chance of allergic reactions or gum infections.
3. Long-lasting
Gold crowns are more durable than other crown types. So, they wear out lesser and you can use them for a longer time.
Did you know that your tooth responds to heat and cold with expansion and contraction? So is gold. The good news is that the expansion and contraction of gold are similar to that of your tooth. So, your gold crown does not crack/chip/fracture like some other crowns. The rate at which gold expands or contracts is like your natural tooth.
On average, you can have your gold crown for at least 20 to 40 years.
4. Perfect fit
Gold caps or castings fit more accurately on your tooth than the other dental restorations. Porcelain crowns tend to shrink, thus the fitting of the crown may change, and decay around your tooth might develop.
5. Does not harm your other teeth
When you chew food, your teeth in your upper and lower jaws come in contact and work together to chew the food. Few crowns tend to wear out your opposing tooth. Gold is safe and does not harm your opposing tooth. This property makes it ideal for bruxism.
Bruxism is a state wherein you grind your teeth excessively, especially at night. It can be so intense that it may wake up the person who is sleeping next to you. Bruxism damages your teeth as well as your crowns.
Gold is an ideal choice here as it neither harms your opposing teeth nor it lets your opposing teeth harm your gold crown.
6. Stays new always
Gold is smooth and does not get stained. Other crowns may have a rough surface which invites bacteria to settle down and stain your crown as well as increase the likelihood of infection.
What are the disadvantages of gold crowns?
Gold crowns have two main disadvantages: price and esthetics. They are not extraordinarily expensive (cost like zirconia or e-max ceramic crowns), but their esthetic appeal makes them very unpopular among patients.
1. Gold crowns are expensive
As gold is an expensive metal, gold tooth crowns are expensive. (Even though gold crowns are not 100% gold, since the crown wouldn’t be hard enough.)
However, as they are longer-lasting, they need lesser replacements or adjustments. You also need fewer appointments to adjust or replace a gold crown, thus, it will be saving you time and money in the long run.
2. Poor esthetics
Gold restorations look very different than your natural teeth, therefore they are simply just not an option for most patients.
The dental industry tries to overcome this drawback by combining gold with porcelain. The result is the porcelain fused to gold crown, which keeps most of the advantages of gold crowns but looks a lot more appealing.
In fact, in terms of quality and esthetics, porcelain fused to gold might be the ideal choice for back teeth restorations.
It’s good to know, that when your dentist says porcelain fused to metal (PFM), the metal is not always gold. It might be some cheaper metal like silver or even nickel, which might cause allergic reactions in some cases.
If you are going to have a PFM crown, it’s best to ask your dentist what metal will be used.
Porcelain fused to gold crowns
PFG or porcelain fused to gold is also an option especially for your front teeth.
A PFG crown has a gold base and porcelain on top of it. This gives you all the advantages of gold and porcelain and on top of it gives you the looks similar to your natural teeth.
However, the price is the same as that of gold crowns. So, for the front teeth, you may want to go for PFG crowns, and for your back teeth, you may want to opt for PFG or gold crowns.
You might also be interested in Captek crowns, which is high-quality porcelain fused to gold crown.
How much does a gold crown cost?
The price of a gold crown in the United States is around $1,000 – $1,500. Depending on a lot of factors, you might get a somewhat lower or a significantly higher quote from your dentist.
In the UK prices may start around £350. In Canada and Australia, the price is around the US price.
Since gold is an expensive material, the size of the crown will be an important factor in the final price. This makes estimating gold crown prices hard.
The price of porcelain fused to gold crowns is usually close to the full gold crown price.
Here is a rough estimate of gold crown prices in various countries:
- United States: $1,000 – $1,500
- United Kingdom: £350 – £700
- Canada: $1,000 – $1,500
- Australia: $1,000 – $1,500
Frequently asked questions
Do dentists still do gold crowns?
Yes. Even though it’s not common – because of the low esthetics -, gold is a great material and sometimes dentists recommend gold crowns for back teeth.
Which is cheaper gold or porcelain crowns?
Gold crowns are usually a bit more expensive, but the difference is not that big, so this should not be the decisive factor.
If your dentist recommends a gold crown over a porcelain crown, you should seriously consider it, even if the price is higher by a few hundred dollars.
How long do gold crowns last?
With proper care, gold crowns can last a lifetime.
The average lifespan of a dental crown is 5-15 years, but gold crowns tend to last significantly longer.
Conclusion
When it comes to capping teeth, many crown options are available. Gold and gold alloy crowns offer strength, durability, and a good value.
However, with newer materials on the market that create a more natural appearance, you may want to consider other options. Talk to your dentist to see which type of crown is best for your needs.
Schedule an Appointment
If you’ve got additional questions regarding gold dental crowns or otherc dental procedures at Lowcountry Family Dentistry, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our office. We warmly welcome patients from Beaufort SC, Lady’s Island, Port Royal, and the surrounding areas. Request your appointment today by calling 843-986-0177 or using our online form!
How Long Do Dental Crowns Last?