Gold foil may cost about three times the amount of a good quality composite filling. However, the costing of a filling should not be evaluated on the basis of its initial cost only. The longevity of a composite filling may range from five to seven years, whereas gold foil restorations can last a lifetime.

In other words, gold foil is a one-time investment, in contrast to composite materials that may be required to be replaced several times during the patient’s lifetime. Therefore, patients must carefully consider the effective costing of gold foil and other restorative materials before making a final decision.

Gold foil as a dental restorative material has several other advantages apart from its longevity. Gold is the strongest and the most resilient among all restorative materials. As a result, a patient using gold restorations can carry on chewing and biting functions with great ease. However, with other restorative materials the patient has to exercise more caution while chewing and biting, especially with hard or sticky foods.

Gold foil is the most biocompatible among all restorative materials. It does not have any adverse effects on the patient’s health. The patient’s body accepts gold foil almost as a natural material and not as an alien invader. Therefore, when the gold restoration rests against the gum, there is no rejection or adverse reaction from the body.

Gold’s thermal expansion and contraction coefficient is also very similar to that of natural teeth. It means there is no damage to the restoration if the patient consumes very hot or very cold substances. This property of gold also adds to the long life of the restoration.

Experienced dentists who have used gold as a restorative material for several years usually recommend it to their patients as the first choice. If the restoration is to be carried out on the posterior teeth (which are not visible from outside) gold is the ideal material of choice.

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