What are the benefits of gold dental restorations?

Gold alloys contain gold, copper and other metals that result in a strong, effective filling, crown or a bridge. They are primarily used for inlays, onlays, crowns and fixed bridges. They are highly resistant to corrosion and tarnishing.

Gold alloys exhibit high strength and toughness that resists fracture and wear. This allows the dentist to remove the least amount of healthy tooth structure when preparing the tooth for the restoration. Gold alloys are also gentle to opposing teeth and are well tolerated by patients.

Even though gold is one of the oldest restorations known to dentists, it still wins when compared to modern restorations. It still wins in every category, except for perhaps how it looks. 

Here are the benefits of gold dental restorations:

• Strength: Gold will never break in the mouth. 
• Longevity: The process of making a gold crown, as opposed to porclein, leads to a more precise integration with the tooth, which means that the restoration will take twice as long to fail. 
• Contour and effect on gums: The process of making a gold crown is more precise and the tooth can be shaped in a way that's more anatomically correct. It's been known for a long time that gums will react to an over-contoured or under-contoured crown and it's very difficult to get the contours right with materials other than gold.
• Bio compatibility: Gold is perhaps one of the most biocompatible materials for the body, meaning the body doesn't react to gold. 
• Physical compatibility: Gold wears down at the same rate as tooth enamel. Porclein doesn't wear at all and eventually becomes aggressive to opposing teeth, damaging them.

As for aesthetics, either you like how gold looks, or you don't. Obviously, I don't recommend using gold on the front teeth, but when I see someone laugh out loud and there's a gold crown tucked way back there, I always think the same thing: smart choice!