Tooth be Told

It is my hope that this column will be another way to connect to you and give you insight into my whole-body approach to health and wellness. My perspective obviously starts with me looking in your mouth, but I’d like to show you the value of how your mouth is the gateway to your body via anecdotal accounts of varying topics.

In this week’s edition of “Tooth Be Told,” we will discuss restoring broken, worn, or failing teeth with a gold material. Yes, gold! Yes, it is still recommended and no, it is not crazy expensive!

In dentistry, patients have chosen a white or tooth-colored material for the esthetics. However, gold has been highly used for over 2,500 years, way longer than porcelain or composite or even amalgam. Most commonly, gold restorations are used as crowns, strong enough to withstand biting forces and chewing that are resistant to corrosion, fracture, and wear.

Unfortunately, gold restorations are underutilized due to the nature of the appearance and esthetics, and today their primary advantages are for their durability and longevity. Furthermore, the amount of tooth reduction is minimal because the strength is not directly proportional to the thickness of the material. Additionally, the biocompatibility of gold is well tolerated by the body and is unlikely to cause allergic reactions. The malleability and nature of the material lends it to being the most similar replacement secondary to our own enamel and therefore, is the gentlest on the surrounding teeth.

I know the most esthetic choice is a porcelain crown (white/tooth colored); however, please speak to your dentist about the specifics of the material that is right for you. It is common to use a zirconia dioxide material, which is very hard and resistant to fracture, but can be very damaging on adjacent teeth already in jeopardy of breaking due to previous dental treatments.