Dental professionals are capable of forming and fitting gold teeth for their patients, but there are some special cases where dentists and jewelers team up. Of course, we’re talking about grills.
Grills are a type of removable jewelry worn over the front of the teeth. While a jeweler may come up with the design for a grill, a dentist can ensure that the grill has a proper fit and does not damage the teeth over time. Grills became extremely popular in modern hip-hop culture, but the idea of grills is actually very ancient. The Mayans had a similar fashion in which they drilled pieces of fine jade into their teeth.
It’s rare for a modern grill to require any drilling, though there are some examples. Rapper Lil’ Jon is famous not only for his music, but for his unique grill – featuring hundreds of diamond studs surgically implanted into his teeth.
Since they are worn in the mouth, grills are usually made of precious metals. Silver has antibacterial properties that can prevent infections caused from long term wear. Gold is another great choice because it’s easy to mold to the wearer’s teeth and it’s totally inert to the saliva and enzymes in the mouth. There are inexpensive grills made from base metals, but most dentists would recommend against them because they are much more likely to cause irritation and bacterial growth.
Grills are still worn today, but their popularity seemed to peak around the mid-2000s. Have you ever dealt with grills in your line of work? Tell us the story and post on our Facebook wall!
