And although gold is virtually indestructible, it is a soft metal, easy to work with, shape, flatten or draw out into microscopic strands. Today, more than 150,000 U.S. dentists use approximately 13 tons of gold each year for crowns, bridges, inlays and dentures.
Gold is non-toxic.
It is also very resistant to chemical attack and does not corrode. In order to keep the eyelids moist, doctors previously resorted to sewing the eyelid half shut, but a new gold eyelid implant is now the current form of treatment. Gold is the best choice for this device as it does not corrode and will not react with tears. In one development, gold vapor lasers create a high intensity red light with the required wavelength to seek out and selectively destroy cancerous cells without harming healthy neighboring cells. A new lightweight laser, designed by the military and using gold plated contacts, enables medics to seal battlefield wounds in the field, thereby reducing blood loss and improving survival chances for the seriously wounded.