How to Make Money Recycling Dental Scrap
Precious metals can be found in old dental appliances, especially in old crowns, bridges, porcelain-to-metal facings, fillings, and gold wire.
How much gold, silver and other precious metals can you find in dental scrap, and what kind of appliances should you be looking for? Let’s break it all down by looking at the precious metals that have been used to make dental appliances.
Gold
Gold is found in crowns, bridges, fillings, inlays, and in gold wire that is used to attach bridges and other appliances to surrounding teeth.
The amount of gold in these materials can vary depending on the alloy used, but our dentist friends tell us that the amount of gold found in those materials can range from 10% to 92%.
You can roughly estimate the value of dental gold by multiplying its weight by its purity and the current gold price. For example, if you have a 10-karat gold crown that weighs 2 grams and if the current gold price is $2,043.00 per ounce, the amount of gold in your crown is worth about $52.00 at current trading prices. You can calculate that value in this way:
31.1 grams per ounce x 0.4 (10 karat purity) × $2,042.00 per ounce = $52.00
If this kind of calculation needs some clarification, we encourage you to call the precious metal refiners at Specialty Metals at 800-426-2344.
Platinum
Platinum is another precious metal that can be found in some dental scrap, including porcelain-to-metal facings. The amount of platinum in dental scrap depends on the alloy used, which can vary from about 1% to 25%. To determine the platinum content of your dental scrap, you can use a formula like the one we used above for calculating the value of the gold in your scrap.
Silver
Silver is another precious metal that can be found in some dental scrap, especially in silver-colored or “white gold” crowns, bridges, fillings, and inlays. The amount of silver in dental scrap depends on the alloy used, which can vary from 1% to 80%. To determine the silver content of your dental scrap, you can use a formula like the one we used above for calculating the value of the gold in your scrap.
Palladium
Palladium can also be found in dental scrap, especially in porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crowns and some bridges. The amount of palladium in dental scrap depends on the alloy used, and can vary from 1% to 50%.
To determine the value of the palladium in your dental scrap, you can use a formula like the one we used above for calculating the value of the gold in your scrap.
Where Can You Buy Dental Scrap?
Would you believe that people sometimes pawn dental appliances, like crowns and bridges? You can also check eBay. And of course, you can sometimes strike a deal with dentists’ offices and dental labs to buy scrap from them. Bear in mind, however, that dentists and the proprietors of dental labs are likely to know what their scrap items are worth and are unlikely to sell you anything at bargain prices.
Want to Know More?
Contact Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners at 800-426-2344 or email us at sales@specialtymetals.com. We are here to answer your questions and help you turn your dental discoveries into dollars.