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Are gold teeth bad for your health?
Question Date: 2020-02-10
Answer 1:

Before modern materials were available, gold dental work was common. I’m not sure which kind of gold teeth you mean, so I’ll mention a few kinds. One way gold is used in dentistry is to put a filling in a tooth or a crown on the tooth. Most fillings or crowns are not made of gold, but people might want the gold because of how it looks. I had to get a gold crown on one of my molars (where no one could even see it) because part of it had to be thin. Gold is strong even when it is very thin.

Sometimes a person loses an entire tooth and it needs to be replaced. In the US, dentists usually use materials that look like your other teeth. They even try to match the color. Some people will opt for a gold tooth. It may because they like the look, or for status, because gold is expensive. These teeth are permanent. At least there are as permanent as any dental work is. Gold tends to last a long time. It doesn’t corrode (break down) like other metals. It’s as hard as a real tooth, which is good. If it were harder than teeth, it might damage the other teeth. Most people are not sensitive (allergic) to gold. Some people do turn out to be allergic to gold and need to have their gold dental work removed.

A third kind of gold teeth is dental “grills.” These are temporary gold coverings that people put over their normal teeth as a fashion or status statement. If they are solid gold, the American Dental Association says they are apparently safe, but that a wearer has to be careful to keep their teeth and grills clean. It’s easy for sugar and food particles to get caught inside the grills, leading to problems like tooth decay and bad breath. Grills that are not solid gold can corrode and are a lot more likely to cause allergies. As you might imagine, having metal in your mouth may be uncomfortable and cause sores, especially if it is not shaped and fitted carefully.

Why do you think gold is so valuable? Do you think it always will be?

Thanks for asking,

Answer 2:

As far as we know, gold teeth generally do not have negative effects on health. Gold is very durable, so gold teeth are unlikely to break. Also, gold is pretty soft (compared to other metals) so it will not damage other teeth when chewing. It has high biocompatibility, meaning it is non-toxic and won't be attacked by the body's immune system. However, there is one rare case where they can cause issues: if a gold tooth is too close to a silver filling, a reaction could take place between the two metals and saliva, causing an electrical current! This effect is called "galvanic shock" and can cause tooth pain.


Answer 3:

Gold is very chemically stable and therefore rarely reacts with other chemicals. Therefore it has been considered biologically inert and has been used in many dental prostheses. Although gold nanoparticle has been found to have some toxic effects, a gold tooth is neutral to human health.


Answer 4:

Pure gold itself is not toxic to humans, and there has not been any known health problems associated with gold teeth, dental crowns, or dental fillings.


Answer 5:

No, but needing to have teeth made out of gold means that your teeth are unhealthy to begin with.


Answer 6:

No.

Here's one answer:
Gold crowns, i.e. gold teeth, have no negative effects on your health. If they’re made effectively, they can actually last even longer than porcelain, or other types of crowns. Gold crowns are strong and resistant to wear and erosion. The gold itself also has antibacterial properties that can help prevent secondary cavities and increase the tooth’s longevity. Lastly, if they ever did need to be replaced, the gold will have resale value. Source.



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