Why the industry standard might be costing you BIG $$$... watch the video below!

I want to thank you in advance for selecting California Gold Connection as your dental scrap buyer; we look forward to taking care of you.

What exactly counts as "dental scrap metal?

Dental scrap metal is the general term for any leftover metal material from dental work that still contains recoverable precious metal. Think crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, and partial frameworks that have been removed, replaced, or never used. It also covers less obvious sources like casting sprues, buttons left over from lab work, and even the fine metal dust collected in bench and floor sweeps and in vacuum filters at a dental lab. If it came out of a dental office or lab and has any gold, silver, platinum, or palladium content, it qualifies as dental scrap.

Which precious metals are dentists and labs actually sitting on?

Most dental scrap value comes down to four metals: gold, palladium, platinum, and silver. Gold has historically been the workhorse for crowns and bridges because it's durable and biocompatible. Palladium and platinum often show up in "white" or silver-colored dental alloys, which is why scrap that looks like plain steel sometimes turns out to be worth far more than it appears. In practice, gold and palladium do most of the heavy lifting in terms of value; platinum and silver are typically present, but in much smaller amounts.

My crown looks silver, not gold — is it still worth anything?

Possibly, and this trips people up constantly. Color is not a reliable way to judge value. All dental alloys fall into one of three categories: non-precious, noble (25% or more precious metal content), or high noble (60% or more in precious metals content). The only accurate way to know what you're holding is to have it tested by a professional. Don't toss anything just because it doesn't look "gold enough."

What items should I be saving instead of throwing away?

The list is broader than most people expect:

- Full and partial crowns
- Bridges
- Inlays and onlays
- PFM (porcelain-fused-to-metal) restorations — the porcelain gets burned off during processing, so it doesn't disqualify the piece
- Casting sprues, buttons, and lab scrap
- Metal filings and grindings
- Bench sweeps, floor sweeps, and vacuum bag contents from a dental lab

What won't a refiner take, or pay for?

A few materials come up repeatedly, and it's worth knowing them upfront: amalgam (it contains mercury and has to be handled through specialized hazardous-waste channels, not standard refining), lead, titanium, and most chrome-cobalt alloys. Titanium and chrome-cobalt aren't refused because they're "bad" — they simply don't carry any precious metal content, so there's nothing to recover.

Do partial dentures have any value?

It depends entirely on the metal framework, not the plastic or acrylic parts. If the metal shows a yellowish tone, there's a reasonable chance it contains recoverable gold. If the framework is plain silver-gray, it's almost certainly a cobalt-chromium or titanium alloy with no precious metal content. When in doubt, send it in — a proper assay will settle the question either way.

Do I need to remove teeth, porcelain, or cement before sending scrap in?

No. Attached teeth, porcelain, and residual cement are handled during the melting stage, where non-metal material burns off and separates from the metal. You don't need to clean, sort, or pre-process anything before shipping it to a refiner. If you're a dentist with an autoclave, it's a good practice to run it through, but it's not necessary if you don't have one.

Is there a minimum quantity required to sell dental scrap?

Generally no — most refiners will process small batches without a minimum. That said, combining scrap into fewer, larger shipments over time is usually smarter, since it reduces shipping hassle and lets you see the full picture of what a batch is worth in one payout rather than several small ones. If you are not a dentist and are just sending in a few personal pieces, definitely review the mail in your scrap page for proper shipping instructions.

How does a refiner figure out what my scrap is worth?

The process is essentially melt, assay, and pay. Your scrap is melted down into a homogeneous batch, a sample is tested (assayed) to determine the exact percentage of precious metals present, and payment is calculated based on that verified purity and the current market price for each metal. This is why the payout is based on the actual recovered content, not a guess about what a piece "should" contain.

Why is my payout lower than what similar gold sells for retail?

Retail jewelry and dental pricing includes labor, design, and markup, which have nothing to do with raw metal content. A refiner pays based only on the value of the melted, pure metal — which is a fundamentally different number from what a finished piece would sell for in a showroom. This is standard across the refining industry, not something specific to any one buyer.

How long does it take to get paid after sending in scrap?

Timelines vary by refiner, but a common turnaround is a few weeks from the time the scrap is received to the time payment is issued. Some refiners offer expedited processing for an additional step or fee if you need a faster turnaround. While those are the industry average, here at California Gold Connection, if you let me know it's coming, I put you in line for as immediate processing as possible. 

What if I don't like the offer — can I get my scrap back?

Yes. If our offer doesn't work for you, we'll return your scrap at no cost. One thing worth knowing upfront: because sorting and evaluating your scrap takes real time and expertise on our end, a returned batch comes back as one unsorted bag rather than pre-sorted by metal type. We're glad to hand your scrap back — we just don't hand over the sorting work along with it.

Is selling dental scrap metal legal, and is it safe for the environment?

Yes, and recycling it is actually the environmentally responsible option. Precious metals from dental work can contaminate water systems if they're thrown in the trash or washed down a sink. Proper recycling keeps those metals out of the waste stream and returns value to the dentist, lab, or patient instead. Regulations around handling do vary by state, particularly for amalgam and fine metal dust, so it's worth checking local requirements if you're processing scrap at a practice or lab level.

Can patients sell their own extracted crowns, or is this just for dental offices?

Both. Individual patients who've had a crown, bridge, or other metal restoration removed can sell it directly, and dental offices and labs can do the same at a larger scale through ongoing collection programs. The evaluation and payout process works the same way regardless of whether you're sending in one crown or a year's worth of dental scrap.