# Gold caps and fillings - when you die. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 20, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-caps-and-fillings-when-you-die/518243 "2009-11-20T02:24:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-caps-and-fillings-when-you-die/518243/1 "2009-11-20T02:24:39Z")
If you have gold crowns, caps or fillings and you die are they removed and returned to the family? Is the body buried or cremated with them? Are they stolen somewhere along the line? I have the option of getting a gold crown. If I do, is this just a matter of enriching some slime bag that happens to get to my body first as opposed to leaving something valuable for my family? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-caps-and-fillings-when-you-die/518243/2 "2009-11-20T02:59:59Z")
> [@Spartydog](#): > > If you have gold crowns, caps or fillings and you die are they removed and returned to the family? Is the body buried or cremated with them? Are they stolen somewhere along the line? > > I have the option of getting a gold crown. If I do, is this just a matter of enriching some slime bag that happens to get to my body first as opposed to leaving something valuable for my family? Depending on the gold content of a crown today, and the size/weight of the crown, your family might get about $40-60 for such. I don’t think you should loose sleep about this. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-caps-and-fillings-when-you-die/518243/3 "2009-11-20T03:22:17Z")
Today, a gold crown is going to cost me an extra $250 - $300. Really, it’s not the money for my family. It’s that I don’t want to enrich a thief. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-caps-and-fillings-when-you-die/518243/4 "2009-11-20T06:42:32Z")
When my mother died, my father specified to the crematorium that she had some gold crowns that should be returned separately from the ashes. I believe they were. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-caps-and-fillings-when-you-die/518243/5 "2009-11-20T11:45:23Z")
The funeral director asked me if I wanted my mum’s gold tooth back. I took it, and she was buried. I didn’t even know she still had a real tooth left in her. I suppose it woud be easy enough to rip a crown off a dead person. ---
**Author:** ![Gbro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Gbro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gbro)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-caps-and-fillings-when-you-die/518243/6 "2009-11-20T12:39:54Z")
A friend had a large ring made from dental gold. I asked him about the ring because of the pale gold color, that’s when he told me it was his Grand parents dental gold. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-caps-and-fillings-when-you-die/518243/7 "2009-11-20T13:28:40Z")
When my father died two years ago I asked about this. The funeral home said that dental metal (as well as his pacemaker) would be disposed of as medical waste following cremation. It wasn’t worth the hassle, although a reputable outfit should be able to arrange to return it if your surviving family wants it. The cost \*\*Spartydog \*\*quotes would certainly be much higher than the scrap value of the metal. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-caps-and-fillings-when-you-die/518243/8 "2009-11-20T14:16:57Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > The cost \*\*Spartydog \*\*quotes would certainly be much higher than the scrap value of the metal. The dentist told me that the estimated additional $250 - $300 was only for the cost of the gold. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-caps-and-fillings-when-you-die/518243/9 "2009-11-20T20:33:00Z")
The better question is why are you getting a gold crown? Get an enamel one. Gold crowns are so 90’s. ---
**Author:** ![pan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@pan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pan1)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-caps-and-fillings-when-you-die/518243/10 "2009-11-20T21:09:32Z")
> [@Spartydog](#): > > The dentist told me that the estimated additional $250 - $300 was only for the cost of the gold. Dental gold. Which is either an alloy or just gold with a medical retail mark-up. ---
**Author:** ![Iggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-caps-and-fillings-when-you-die/518243/11 "2009-11-20T21:26:35Z")
> [@Wilbo523](#): > > The better question is why are you getting a gold crown? Get an enamel one. Gold crowns are so 90’s. I just got a gold crown. The dentist said she preferred to use them for certain teeth that see heavier use. I also have an enamel crown, but it’s not on same corresponding tooth. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-caps-and-fillings-when-you-die/518243/12 "2009-11-20T23:02:52Z")
> [@Wilbo523](#): > > The better question is why are you getting a gold crown? Get an enamel one. Gold crowns are so 90’s. Like what **Iggins** said. The dentist said that a porcelain crown would fail. It’s a back molar. He said it would have to be a metal crown. To get gold would involve an up-charge. If anything, he undersold the gold saying that either metal crown would perform equally well. He certainly wasn’t trying to rip me off. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-caps-and-fillings-when-you-die/518243/13 "2009-11-21T01:53:29Z")
> [@Spartydog](#): > > Today, a gold crown is going to cost me an extra $250 - $300. > > Really, it’s not the money for my family. It’s that I don’t want to enrich a thief. On that point I’ll weigh in. Most places that buy gold down to (and including) dental gold have some fairly strict standards and rules they have to follow. If someone offers my boss a Mason jar of gold teeth, there are going to be questions and the police will probably be involved at some point. Someone may get away with stealing a tooth or two here and there ----- but (I’m taking a swag at a number) 99% will either go in the grave or to the family. ---
**Author:** ![G.Pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@G.Pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.Pie)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-caps-and-fillings-when-you-die/518243/14 "2009-11-21T03:20:32Z")
> [@Gbro](#): > > A friend had a large ring made from dental gold. I asked him about the ring because of the pale gold color, that’s when he told me it was his Grand parents dental gold. That is kind of gross.