Selling extracted teeth is not as clearly illegal as most people assume. The federal law usually cited as a blanket ban on selling body parts likely doesn’t cover teeth at all, and at least one major online marketplace openly permits their sale. The real limits come from state law, medical waste rules on the dental office end, and the policies of whatever platform you try to sell on.
Does Federal Law Ban It?
The National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA) is the statute people point to. It makes transferring a “human organ” for valuable consideration a federal crime when the transfer affects interstate commerce, with penalties up to $50,000 and five years in prison. The definition of “human organ” covers the kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas, bone marrow, cornea, eye, bone, and skin, along with any subpart of those, plus anything the Secretary of Health and Human Services adds by regulation.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 U.S. Code 274e – Prohibition of Organ Purchases
Teeth are not on that list. The statute names “bone,” but teeth are made of enamel, dentin, cementum, and pulp, which are compositionally distinct from skeletal bone. No publicly available HHS regulation has added teeth to NOTA’s definition. The prohibition also applies only to organs transferred “for use in human transplantation,” so selling a tooth as a curiosity or for the gold in it falls outside the statute’s target on that ground too.
That doesn’t make it risk-free. HHS could in theory expand the list, and a creative prosecutor could try to fit teeth under “bone” or a “subpart thereof.” But the plain reading is that teeth were never what this law was written to reach.
State Law Is Where the Real Risk Lives
Most states have adopted some version of the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, which prohibits selling “body parts” for transplantation or therapy. The act defines “body part” to include tissue, and tissue means any portion of the human body other than an organ or eye. A tooth could fit that definition, though the prohibition is aimed at post-death transplantation and therapy rather than at novelty sales.
Beyond the Uniform Act, roughly eight states broadly prohibit the sale of human remains by statute. The rules vary enough that checking your own state’s law before listing is worth the ten minutes. Most states have no specific statute covering the sale of an individual extracted tooth outside a transplant or therapeutic context.
Getting the Tooth Back From Your Dentist
You can’t sell a tooth you don’t have. Inside a dental office, extracted teeth are treated as regulated medical waste because they may carry blood or other potentially infectious material, and they’re disposed of in labeled biohazard containers under OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.2Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Bloodborne Pathogen Standard as It Relates to Extracted Teeth
The workaround is simple: ask for it back. The CDC states that extracted teeth can be returned to the patient on request, and once the tooth is in your hands it is no longer subject to the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Best Practices for Handling Extracted Teeth Tell the dentist before the procedure and most offices will accommodate you.
One complication: teeth with amalgam (silver) fillings contain mercury, and the American Dental Association recommends they be routed to specialized recyclers rather than incinerated with medical waste or thrown in the trash.4American Dental Association. Best Management Practices for Amalgam Waste Some dentists will be reluctant to hand back an amalgam-filled tooth for that reason. You can still ask.
Which Online Platforms Allow It
Marketplace policy is the practical gatekeeper for most sellers, and the two biggest platforms sit on opposite sides.
Etsy allows it. Its prohibited items policy bans human remains and body parts but carves out an explicit exception for “Teeth, nails, hair, and non-consumable items made with breast-milk.”5Etsy. Prohibited Items Policy – Effective Until August 11, 2026 Search the site and you’ll find human teeth listed as jewelry components, art pieces, and curiosity specimens.
eBay does not. Its policy states that humans, the human body, and any human body parts are not permitted, with organs, bone, blood, and waste specifically listed. The only exceptions are items containing human hair and skulls or skeletons used for medical purposes. Violations can cost you the listing, the account, and seller privileges.
Other platforms set their own rules and change them over time. Read the current policy of any site before you list, and keep records of any sale the way you would for any other transaction.
Selling the Gold in a Crown
For most people, the money in an extracted tooth isn’t the tooth. It’s the crown. Dental gold alloys usually run from 10-karat to 18-karat, averaging around 11.5 karat. A single gold crown is generally worth between $40 and $90 depending on weight and gold content, and bridges tend to be worth more because they’re heavier. Prices move with the gold market.
Selling dental gold is legal and routine. Specialized dental metal refiners buy crowns directly from individuals and dental offices. Local gold buyers and pawn shops will also take them, though they often pay less than a refiner who does a precise assay. Look for a buyer that gives you a quote, leaves time for you to accept or decline, and returns the piece if you say no.
The IRS treats physical gold as a collectible, so net capital gains on a sale are taxed at a maximum rate of 28%, higher than the long-term rate on stocks.6Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 409, Capital Gains and Losses On one crown that’s a rounding error. On an inherited box of them from a relative’s dental practice, it’s worth keeping the refiner’s payout paperwork.
Donating Instead
If the legal murk isn’t worth it to you, dental schools take donated extracted teeth for preclinical training so students can practice on real teeth before working on patients. Research programs studying dental pulp stem cells recruit patients who are already scheduled for extractions and use only teeth that would be removed anyway; they don’t ask anyone to have a tooth pulled for research.7European CMT Federation. Precious Stem Cells for Research From Teeth Forensic science programs also use donated teeth for identification training.
Donations are non-commercial, with no payment. If your dentist doesn’t already have a relationship with a school or research program, contact a local university dental department directly and ask about their donation process.
The Short Answer
Federal law almost certainly doesn’t prohibit selling your extracted tooth, despite what circulates online. The genuine legal risk is at the state level and varies enough that a quick check of your own state’s statutes is worth doing. After that, where you sell matters more than whether you can: Etsy allows human teeth, eBay doesn’t, and the gold in a crown can go to any precious metals refiner without a legal question attached.