A gold crown is a cap made from a gold alloy that fits over a damaged or weakened tooth, restoring its shape, strength, and function. Gold has been used in dentistry for over a century, and while tooth-colored materials have become more popular for visible teeth, gold crowns remain one of the most durable and long-lasting options available, particularly for back teeth that absorb heavy chewing forces.
What a Gold Crown Is Made Of
Despite the name, a gold crown isn’t pure gold. Pure gold is too soft to hold up in your mouth. Instead, these crowns are made from gold alloys that blend gold with other metals like copper, platinum, palladium, or silver. The mix creates a material that’s strong enough to withstand years of biting and chewing while still being softer than your natural enamel. That softness is actually a feature: the crown wears at a rate similar to tooth enamel, which protects the teeth it bites against.
Why Dentists Still Recommend Gold
Gold crowns have an impressive track record. A long-term study tracking over 2,300 gold-based crowns found a 97% survival rate at 10 years and roughly 85% survival at 25 years. Few dental restorations match that kind of longevity.
The material’s biggest strength is its resistance to fracture. Porcelain crowns can chip or crack under heavy pressure, which makes them a riskier choice for molars or for people who grind their teeth. Gold flexes slightly under stress rather than breaking, so it holds up well in high-pressure areas of the mouth. It also requires less tooth removal during preparation, typically about 1 millimeter on the biting surface compared to the 1.5 to 2 millimeters that porcelain or zirconia crowns need. That means more of your natural tooth structure stays intact.
Gold is also gentler on opposing teeth. Lab studies comparing wear on natural enamel found that enamel grinding against zirconia lost significantly more volume than enamel grinding against gold. If preserving the health of surrounding teeth matters, gold has a measurable advantage.
Best Candidates for Gold Crowns
Gold crowns work best on back teeth (molars and premolars) where appearance matters less and chewing forces are greatest. They’re a particularly strong choice if you grind or clench your teeth at night, a condition called bruxism. The material absorbs and distributes that force without cracking, which is a common failure point for ceramic crowns in heavy grinders.
Your dentist may also recommend gold when there isn’t much vertical space between your upper and lower teeth. Because gold is strong even in thin layers, the crown can be made thinner than a porcelain one, fitting into tight spaces where other materials might not work.
The Drawbacks
The most obvious downside is appearance. A gold crown looks like gold. On a front tooth or any tooth visible when you smile, most people prefer a tooth-colored option. This is the single biggest reason gold crowns have declined in popularity over the past few decades.
Gold is also a good conductor of heat and cold. Some people notice increased sensitivity when eating very hot or cold foods, especially in the first few weeks after placement. This usually fades as the tooth adjusts, but it can be a persistent issue for a small number of patients.
There’s also the question of gum health. Newer research suggests that zirconia crowns may cause less plaque buildup and gum inflammation than metal-based crowns, including gold. A systematic review found that zirconia integrates with soft gum tissue equally well or better than traditional metal restorations. That said, gold crowns with well-finished margins have a long clinical history of healthy gum outcomes, and much of the difference comes down to how precisely the crown fits rather than the material itself.
How the Procedure Works
Getting a gold crown typically requires two appointments. At the first visit, your dentist numbs the area and reshapes the tooth to make room for the crown. This involves reducing the biting surface by about a millimeter, tapering the sides, and creating a smooth ledge around the base where the crown will sit just above the gumline. After shaping, your dentist takes an impression (or a digital scan) of the prepared tooth and places a temporary crown to protect it.
The impression goes to a dental lab where the gold crown is custom-cast to fit your tooth precisely. This process usually takes one to three weeks. At the second appointment, your dentist removes the temporary, checks the fit and bite of the gold crown, and cements it permanently in place. The whole process from start to finish mirrors what you’d experience with any other type of crown.
Cost of a Gold Crown
Gold crowns typically cost between $600 and $2,500, with an average around $1,300. The wide range reflects several factors: the current market price of gold, the specific alloy used, geographic location, and the complexity of the case. Gold crowns tend to fall in the middle of the price spectrum for dental crowns overall, which ranges from about $500 to $3,500 per tooth. Porcelain crowns are generally the most expensive, while basic metal crowns cost the least.
Dental insurance often covers a portion of crown costs regardless of material, though some plans cap coverage at the cost of the least expensive option and require you to pay the difference. The higher upfront cost of gold can be offset by its longevity. A crown that lasts 25 years costs less per year than one that needs replacing after 10 or 15.
Gold vs. Porcelain vs. Zirconia
- Gold: Most durable, gentlest on opposing teeth, requires the least tooth removal. Not tooth-colored. Best for back teeth and heavy grinders.
- Porcelain: Most natural-looking, ideal for front teeth and visible areas. More prone to chipping or cracking, especially under heavy bite forces. Requires more tooth reduction.
- Zirconia: Tooth-colored and very strong, making it a popular middle ground. Favorable gum tissue response and low plaque retention. Harder than enamel, which means it can cause more wear on opposing natural teeth than gold does.
Each material involves tradeoffs. For a front tooth, appearance usually wins and porcelain or zirconia makes sense. For a molar in someone who grinds their teeth, gold’s fracture resistance and longevity are hard to beat. Many people end up with different crown materials on different teeth, chosen based on location and function.