How Gold Is Used in Dentistry, Surgery and Pharmaceuticals

Gold’s role in medicine extends far beyond ornament. Dentists have used gold for crowns and fillings for more than a century. Surgeons have implanted a radioactive form of gold into tumors for targeted radiation. Rheumatologists prescribe an oral gold compound to treat rheumatoid arthritis. And gold nanoparticles are the reason home pregnancy tests and many rapid COVID-19 tests show a clear visible line. These are documented medical applications rooted in the same properties: gold resists corrosion, is chemically stable inside the body, and binds readily to other molecules.

Key Takeaways

• Dentists have long used gold alloys for crowns and fillings because gold resists corrosion and wears at nearly the same rate as tooth enamel.
• Gold-198 is a radioactive isotope with a half-life of roughly 2.7 days; surgeons have implanted it into tumors since the 1960s for localized radiation therapy.
• Auranofin, an oral gold compound, has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and is under investigation for activity against several cancers.
• Gold nanoparticles provide the visible signal in most lateral flow diagnostics, including pregnancy tests and many antigen tests.
• Medical uses of gold are tiny relative to total annual demand—dentistry consumed about 8.2 tonnes in 2025 versus more than 5,000 tonnes in total demand—so medicine does not meaningfully drive the metal’s investment value.

Why Is Gold Used in Dentistry?

Gold has a long dental history. Archaeological finds show gold dental work as far back as ancient Etruria, where gold bands held replacement teeth in place. Modern dental use expanded in the late 19th century when dentists began casting gold for crowns and inlays.

The advantages are practical rather than purely aesthetic. Pure gold is too soft for chewing, so dental alloys—commonly 60 to 78 percent gold mixed with metals like palladium or copper—are used. These alloys wear at a rate similar to natural enamel, which helps protect opposing teeth in the mouth. Gold alloys are also highly resistant to acids and corrosion from saliva and foods. As a result, a well-made gold crown can last many years, often 15 to 30 years in clinical practice.

Although ceramic and composite materials have improved and reduced the routine use of gold, many dentists still prefer gold for back molars and for patients who grind their teeth because of its durability and gentle wear characteristics.

How Is Gold Used in Surgery and Medical Implants?

One of gold’s most important surgical applications is in brachytherapy, a form of internal radiation therapy. In this approach, a radioactive source is placed directly inside or next to a tumor, concentrating the dose where it is needed. Beginning in the 1960s, clinicians used gold-198 seeds implanted into prostate tumors. Gold-198 has a relatively short half-life of about 2.7 days, delivering radiation locally as it decays and minimizing exposure to nearby healthy tissue.

Researchers continue to refine this idea, investigating gold in nanoparticle form to achieve a more uniform dose distribution within tumors. Non-radioactive gold also appears in medical devices: its conductivity and resistance to corrosion make thin gold layers useful in pacemaker and defibrillator circuitry, and small gold markers help surgeons locate implants on X-ray images. Not every application succeeded—early attempts to coat coronary stents directly with gold did not improve outcomes and were discontinued after trials showed higher rates of re-narrowing compared with uncoated steel.

What Is Gold Used for in Pharmaceutical Treatments?

Gold-based drugs have been used in medicine for nearly a century. Treating rheumatoid arthritis with gold compounds—known as chrysotherapy—dates back decades, and the oral drug auranofin became available in the late 20th century. Studies have shown that auranofin can be as effective as some injectable gold preparations and other disease-modifying agents, often with different side-effect profiles.

Lately, scientists have explored auranofin’s potential in oncology. The compound inhibits thioredoxin reductase, an enzyme some aggressive cancers rely on, and laboratory studies have demonstrated activity against certain tumor cell lines. Those findings are preliminary: auranofin is not an established cancer cure, and any clinical use beyond approved indications should be directed by a licensed physician within evidence-based protocols.

How Do Gold Nanoparticles Work in Medical Diagnostics?

Gold nanoparticles are an everyday medical application many people encounter without realizing it. Lateral flow assays—the paper strip tests used for pregnancy detection and many rapid infectious disease checks—use gold nanoparticles as the visible label. Manufacturers attach antibodies to these particles that bind to a specific target molecule, such as a hormone or viral protein. When the target is present, the nanoparticles accumulate and form a visible colored line on the strip, producing a clear positive signal without instruments.

Gold is ideal for this role because it remains chemically stable and does not degrade during storage or testing. That stability, combined with simple visual readout and manufacturability, made gold nanoparticle lateral flow tests widely deployable during public health emergencies and remains the standard for many at-home diagnostics.

Does Gold in Medicine Affect Its Value as an Investment?

While these medical uses are important, they represent a small fraction of total gold demand. For example, dentistry used about 8.2 tonnes of gold in 2025 as part of a broader technology category that consumed roughly 322.8 tonnes; total global gold demand that year exceeded 5,000 tonnes. In other words, medical and industrial consumption is minor compared with demand for jewelry, central bank reserves, and investment holdings.

Gold’s price is driven mainly by monetary factors—interest rates, real yields, currency strength, and investor sentiment—rather than dental statistics or small-scale industrial uses. However, the medical examples do underscore gold’s core attributes: exceptional chemical stability and long-term durability. Those same properties that make gold suitable for crowns, implants, and diagnostics also help explain why many people regard it as a lasting store of value.

People Also Ask

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SOURCES
1. World Gold Council — Gold Demand Trends Full Year 2025
2. Wikipedia — Gold Teeth (sourced to Wall Street Journal and Encyclopaedia Britannica)
3. Wikipedia — Crown (dental restoration)
4. Garfield Refining — The History of Dental Gold
5. Baylor College of Medicine — clinical record of gold seed implantation
6. Journal of Contemporary Brachytherapy — studies on Au-198 dosimetry
7. Brazilian Journal of Radiation Sciences — work on Au-198 nanoparticles for radiotherapy
8. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine — review of oral chrysotherapy and auranofin
9. PMC — reviews of auranofin in oncology research
10. PMC / Nature Scientific Reports — studies of gold nanoparticle lateral flow assays
11. Circulation / American Journal of Cardiology — randomized trials on gold-coated coronary stents
12. U.S. Geological Survey — metals and minerals in medical implants

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment or medical advice. Consult qualified professionals for investment decisions and medical treatment.

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