People cashing in gold fillings

HANNIBAL, Mo. (AP) — For years, people with bad teeth have invested in fillings made of gold. Now with the price of gold through the roof, people are realizing that practice has brought a whole new meaning to the phrase, “putting your money where your mouth is.”

At least two business people in Hannibal who regularly purchase gold report that people are walking into their businesses with gold fillings to convert to cash.

“We get teeth every day. It’s not odd,” said Bobby Heiser, owner of Crescent Jewelry. “People that have their old crowns, they’re worth a lot because they’re like 16 carats. I’ve had people bring complete bridges in, even with the teeth. I don’t pay as much if I have to take the teeth out. That’s not pleasant.”

“We get gold teeth in and we buy them, believe it or not,” said Lori Maddox, owner of Rags to Riches Pawn, adding that in addition to teeth, she’s also seen gold-laden mouth “grills,” which are a type of jewelry worn over teeth.

Some individuals retain their gold fillings through the end of their life. But what then? Can family members ask to remove the gold from a deceased family member’s mouth before they are laid to rest?

“We’ve actually been asked that question before,” said James O’Donnell of the James O’Donnell Funeral Home in Hannibal. In years past, O’Donnell says the amount of gold was not worth the expense of bringing in a dentist to professionally remove the precious metal. But now that gold is trading at over $1,100 an ounce, O’Donnell acknowledges that “it doesn’t take too much (gold) to add up to a lot.”

“If the family asked for that (gold extraction), we would arrange it, but just as with everything else we do, we would have it done in a professional, dignified manner,” he said.

O’Donnell adds that survivors don’t have to worry about gold being removed from loved ones without their permission. “It is absolutely always buried with the person like jewelry or anything else,” he said.

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