Dental grills, also known as “grillz,” are decorative dental casts made of precious metals and stones. They can be permanently attached or removable, and the process involves getting a custom cast of the teeth from a dentist and then going to a jeweler or retailer. Grills come in a variety of styles and have been popularized by hip hop artists since the 1980s. Some schools have banned them for students.
Also known as “grillz,” “golds,” or “fronts,” dental grills are decorative dental casts made of gold, diamonds, and other attention-grabbing precious metals and stones. Most often as jewelry in hip hop culture, teeth grills can be permanently attached to teeth; however, most are of the removable and snap-on variety.
The process for purchasing teeth grills involves first seeing a dentist, to get a custom cast of the teeth. The mold is then taken to a jeweler who makes teeth grills, or to a retailer who specializes exclusively in grills. From there, the customer can choose to have a custom grill that ranges from $50-30,000 US dollars, depending on the brand and materials used. In 2005, a Florida-based jeweler was arrested for practicing dentistry without a license for taking molds of clients’ teeth in-house, instead reserving that step for licensed dentists.
Grills come in a variety of styles, including the popular “invisible” option, which features rows of diamonds that hide the metal base of the grill so that it appears as if the diamonds are floating directly above the teeth. Teeth grills can be worn while eating; However, it is advisable to eliminate them during sleep.
Teeth grills began to appear in hip hop music in the early 1980s, when rappers like Flava Flav’ of Public Enemy began sporting gold tooth caps. The teeth grills of this early era were not made from custom dental casts, like contemporary grills, and consisted of reshaping the teeth to fit the grill. In the 2000s, “Dirty South” rappers and hip hop artists such as OutKast, Ludacris, Sean “Diddy” Combs, and Lil Jon have contributed to the popularity of teeth grills by wearing them in public, not to mention presenting them. in his music. As a rapper, Nelly did it on his 2005 song, “Grillz.” Public figures not associated with hip hop, such as Travis Barker and Johnny Depp, have also polished teeth grills.
In 2006, a school district in Texas banned students from wearing tooth grills in schools. Schools in Alabama and Georgia have also banned grills for preparing students for the workforce, where they are expected to adhere to a professional dress and appearance code.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
