Why This Is an Estimate, Not a Quote
Jewelry gold has a hallmark you can generally trust (14K, 18K, and so on). Dental gold usually doesn't work that way — dental alloys are formulated for strength and biocompatibility in the mouth, and manufacturers mix in palladium, platinum or silver in proportions that vary by product line, with no single universal "dental karat" standard. The number above assumes your item is the nominal karat you selected with no other alloy considered — a refiner's assay (XRF test) is the only way to get an exact figure, and is worth getting before selling anything beyond a token amount.
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Mixed lot, multiple items
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All karats in one tool
Frequently Asked Questions
No — dental gold is usually an alloy formulated for durability and biocompatibility in the mouth, often containing palladium, platinum or silver alongside the gold, and there's no single universal "dental karat" standard the way there is for jewelry hallmarks. A karat-only calculation is a rough estimate, not an exact figure.
It depends heavily on the specific alloy, which this calculator cannot see — a rough estimate using nominal karat and weight might put a typical 2-5 gram crown in a modest range, but the presence of palladium (which has its own separate value, sometimes significant) or other alloy metals can meaningfully change that. A refiner's assay is the only way to get an exact figure.
An assay is a lab test (often XRF, X-ray fluorescence) that determines the exact metal composition of an item rather than assuming it. For dental gold specifically, an assay is worth getting before selling anything beyond a token amount, since the alloy composition can swing the real value well above or below a karat-only estimate.
Some do, and dedicated dental-gold refiners exist specifically for this — both are often better positioned to assay the actual alloy than a general pawn shop or jewelry buyer, who may default to a conservative karat-only offer precisely because they can't verify the palladium/platinum content on the spot.