Gold in Medicine and Dentistry

Abstract

Provenance: Gold as a precious metal is well-known and is enmeshed in many cultural heritages. Besides being used for centuries for jewelry, it was co-opted as coinage. as building material and used in dentistry and medicine. Aim: This article appraises salient gold characteristics. Reviewed here are (1) gold properties, (2) Human gold physiology, (3) Gold’s current use in medicine, (4) Gold’s nutritional value, and (5) Gold use in dentistry. Conclusion: Although gold is found in miniscule amounts in the body and has slight anti-inflammatory effects as a salt, gold is still cherished as jewelry, remains chemically inert, is used in dentistry and medicine, has minimal nutritional value, and has scant metabolic function in humans.