Amongst all the metals of the world, gold is the most precious of them all and not only because of its golden warm glow that attract men and women like moths to the flame. It is also pliable, thick ductile, all of which have made gold in dentistry one of the most enduring love affairs between man and metal.

Historical records show that it was the ancient Etruscan who first used gold for dental applications. The Etruscan way was to use the gold as wiring to attach the "new tooth" from an animal to the place from which the original human tooth was previously located. You can just imagine the ingenuity of those Etruscans but the pain must have been something else, too.

In the 15th century, gold leaf was used as dental fillings, of which evidence can be found in the world's first dental textbook published in Leipzig. Now, that must account for the many depictions of both rich and poor, sailor and pirate, hero and villain to have fillings of gold albeit it was more often the mark of the villain.

Said practice has continued to this day despite the presence of many other materials like porcelain and ceramics. Well, there is surprise in that as indeed the use of gold in dentistry has very valid reasons indeed.

First, gold is forever. Or more appropriately, it does wear away in comparison with other metals. Keep in mind that its chemically static nature makes it very easy to work with by any dentists with half a brain and two good hands.

Let's say that for some twist of history, iron is used for dental applications. There will be many problems associated from the extreme pain felt by the patient upon filling the cavity to the fact the iron gets rust on it. Do you really want to have rust in your mouth, not to mention a bad odor coming from the metal itself? Probably not.

Second, gold in dentistry is very desirable because it is a hypoallergenic metal. This means that many of the people who are allergic to certain metals can avail of the benefits of gold fillings - new smiles - without worrying that their new smiles will lead to horrendous allergic reactions.

How would you know if you are allergic to gold? Well, if you have worn gold jewelry and you experienced reactions like red rashes, then you are indeed allergic. However, it must be emphasized that there are only very few people on this Earth who are allergic to gold.

Third and the most superficial but the most fun of all is that gold in dentistry add personality with a P to the wearer. If you will remember the swashbuckling hero/villain of pirate movies almost always has a gold filling on his tooth, preferably on a the side - gold teeth right smack on the center somehow was tacky as it is now.

Your dentist will choose from a variety of gold for your dental fillings. There are pure gold metal applied in the form of gold leaf, gold foil and even gold powder flake akin to crystals. Others are metal alloys used for wires and plates as well as gold alloy solders and casting alloys.

When using gold in dentistry, you can avail of the benefits of beauty, functionality and durability.