Rising Gold Prices? Here’s Why Dentists Should Turn to Dental Gold Scrap Buyers

As a dentist or oral surgeon, you’re already managing a complex business juggling patient care, staff, compliance, and equipment with all the concurrent expenses. But there’s one valuable resource you might be overlooking: your dental scrap.

Old crowns, bridges, inlays, and extracted restorations often contain precious metals like gold, palladium, platinum, and silver. And when precious metal prices are high — as they are now — refining these materials can translate into a significant, and often surprising, financial return.

That’s where working with trusted dental gold scrap buyers comes in.

Precious Metals Prices Are High — Here’s Why That Matters to You

Precious metals, especially gold, tend to rise in value during periods of inflation (or expected inflation) and economic uncertainty. In 2024, gold hovered around $1,950 per ounce for much of the year. But in 2025, we’ve seen prices push past $3,300 — and some analysts expect continued increases if inflation and uncertainty continue to rise.

This upward pressure on metal prices directly impacts your potential payout. That same ounce of dental gold that might have been worth $1,950 last year could now net over $3,300 — if you work with a refiner who pays based on current market rates.

Let’s look at a basic comparison of a refining lot using the metal closing prices on June 18, 2024 versus June 18, 2025.

*Note: A refining fee would be applied to the totals to arrive at the final payout.

That’s an increase of $922.77 (40%) over last year’s prices. While the overall trend this spring has remained upward, we generally advise clients not to wait too long. Markets fluctuate, and high prices won’t last forever.

What Kind of Dental Scrap Can Be Refined?

Many common restorative materials contain high-value precious metals. If you’ve been discarding the following items or storing them in a back-office drawer, you’re quite literally sitting on money. Examples include:

• Extracted crowns and bridges
• Inlays and onlays
• PFMs (porcelain fused to metal restorations)
• Gold fillings or fragments
• Casting buttons and grindings from lab work

Even small bits of scrap add up over time — especially when you consider the higher payout per ounce during periods of elevated prices.

Why Work with a Dental Gold Scrap Buyer Instead of a Middleman?

Many practices unknowingly accept lowball offers from middlemen who don’t refine the dental scrap themselves. These brokers often pay based on an estimate or weight alone, not by true metal content. That can cost your practice thousands of dollars over time.

Dental gold scrap buyers who specialize in precious metals refining perform assays on the scrap to determine exact metal content and pay based on current market prices. This transparency ensures you’re getting full value.

Here’s what a quality buyer should offer:

• Assay-based payments (not just weight-based estimates)
• Current market pricing for gold, platinum, palladium, and silver
• Clear fees for refining
• Insured shipping and tracking
• Quick turnaround (most pay within 7–10 business days)

How Often Should You Sell Your Scrap?

There’s no hard rule, but many dental practices find it worthwhile to gather and ship scrap every quarter or biannually — especially when prices are high. This ensures you’re cashing in at optimal times without waiting for scrap to pile up for years.

If you’re watching the metals market and you don’t have an urgent need for cash at present, timing your sale can make a noticeable difference. And with gold and platinum prices on the rise in 2025, now is an especially good time to act.

Tips to Maximize Your Returns

Want to get the most from your dental scrap? Follow these best practices:

• Train your staff to save restorations during extractions and procedures.
• Use a designated container to collect all metal-based materials in one secure spot.
• Label and track your scrap so you can monitor accumulation over time.
• Compare buyers — look at refining methods, payout times, and reviews.
• Ask for a detailed report showing the metals recovered and how payout was calculated.

Final Thought: Don’t Leave Money Behind

Dental scrap might seem like a small detail in a busy practice — but over time, it adds up. When precious metal prices are high, refining your scrap can be a smart, low-effort way to generate extra income. That’s especially important in a time of rising costs, shrinking insurance reimbursements, and inflation-driven expenses.

By working with experienced dental gold scrap buyers who use transparent, market-based precious metals refining, you can turn yesterday’s dental waste into today’s unexpected profit.

Ready to Turn Your Dental Scrap into Profit?

If you haven’t evaluated your dental scrap strategy in a while, this may be the perfect time. Prices are strong, demand is high, and your practice could benefit from a revenue boost—without adding a single new patient.

Don’t let valuable materials sit unused in a drawer. Our free refining kit makes it easy to get started — it’s secure, insured, and there’s no obligation.

Request your free dental scrap refining kit today and discover how much your practice can earn when you work with trusted dental gold scrap buyers.

Send me a free refining kit, today