Cosmetic Dentistry is all the buzz! Here in Louisville, KY everybody is a Cosmetic Dentist, which is fine, but how about those patients (like myself) that really only want teeth that last, don’t break, don’t hurt, and allow me to enjoy the foods I like till the last bite!

Gold is the most amazing material to use for rebuilding a mouth! I can attest to the fact that gold is superior to any other material in the mouth, period.

That being said, more and more patients will choose porcelain regardless of fit or longevity…I would like to bring the fact to light that gold is the only restoration that I would truly consider a “last time” restoration. Gold really can last forever, nothing else will.

Here are some points to consider about gold, directly from the R.V. Tucker Gold Study Club:

1. Gold will not oxidize and discolor the teeth.
2. Fragile areas of tooth structure remaining can be protected by covering them with a thin layer of gold. Gold will not fracture even when it is thin.
3. The cast gold restoration will not fracture in the isthmus or other areas.
4. The margins at the junction of the tooth and gold are nearly imperceptible if handled properly, and will not be so likely to harbor plaque, and consistently should contribute to better tissue health.
5. Contact areas can be placed and polished for ease in the use of dental floss, thus promoting better tissue health.
6. Gold can be polished and finished to a higher degree than other materials.
7. Gold castings such as 7/8 modified full crowns or conventional full crowns can be used to “bind the tooth together” and prevent tooth fracture, or relieve sensitivity from incipient tooth fractures.
8. The normal tooth anatomy can be more nearly reproduced with a casting.
9. Cast gold wears more nearly the same as tooth structure and does not produce sub-marginal surface. Precise fitting castings will support the marginal enamel rods which prevents chipping and fracturing at the cavo-surface margins and minimizes the possibility of marginal leakage and bacterial invasion.
10. Gold castings have a favorable coefficient of expansion with tooth structure.
11. Well placed gold casting will last much longer than other filling materials used today.
12. The sensory acceptance of gold by the tongue and the feel during mastication is enhanced by the smoothness and anatomical replication of the missing tooth structure.

So, if you are like most “dentists”, you will look past the “color” of the restoration and restore your mouth with a dentist that has the experience to deliver beautiful, long lasting gold restorations, and you will thank them 30 years later!

Keep smiling.