What Is a Mouth Grill?

The popularity of mouth grill's (grillz), first introduced predominately by celebrities in the hip-hop culture, has now gained wide acclaim. It is not uncommon to see red-carpet events dripping with "ice" and shining with gold around and about the ears, neck and arms, but now instead of flashing those pearly whites, many celebrities smile with bling--mouth grillz. Grills are offered on some websites and storefronts as ready made kits, versus the original designed dental and jeweler specific models.

Identification

• A mouth grill is a covering for the teeth designed to adorn the mouth. Grills are generally made by jewelers once a dental impression of the teeth is made by a dentist. Grills can be diamond encrusted, fashioned out of precious metals such as gold or silver, or contain other precious stones or designs in the metal. The mouth grill is meant to be removable. However, there is a trend now offering do-it-yourself removable grills, where a dentist or jeweler may not be involved in the process.

Function

• Mouth grills are considered mouth jewelry and snap on and off the upper or lower teeth. However, some people have opted to have gold, platinum or silver combined with a preferred designed placed permanently on the teeth instead of the removable grill. The only function of a mouth grill is for decoration and design, as that of jewelry. According to the American Dental Association (ADA) grills range in price anywhere from "$20 to thousands of dollars."

Types

• Removable do-it-yourself grills are often purchased through vendors online, as well as mall stands, jewelry retailers and other novelty stores that may sell costume jewelry. However, with any of type of grill, an appropriate model replicating the teeth (dental impression) is necessary to ensure proper grill fit. As to "traditional" jeweler and dental design, there are the consultation for design and follow up visits for fit and instruction on proper care of teeth, grill and gums. Permanent mouth grills are fashioned with filling or crown materials designed to cover the original tooth at a dental office, by a dentist.

Considerations

• There are dental concerns for people wearing or considering mouth grills, such as the effect it will have on your gums and teeth. Further, some people are allergic to the cheaper metals often found in the do-it-yourself kits or ready made grills. Bacteria and plaque are also considerations when wearing mouth grills as it can lead to gum disease or other problems related to the mouth.

Warning

• When cleaning mouth grills, jewelry cleaners and other harsh chemical cleaners should be avoided as they can seep into the bloodstream through the gums or be swallowed, thus possibly causing harmful side effects.