What are grillz?
This type of jewelry looks like an overlay for one or more front teeth that can be worn at any time. They come in a wide variety of types, decorated with jewelry types of stones, metal or highly polished and smooth.
The first manufacturers of this decoration called it grills, which in Russian sounds like “lattices”. Time passed and hip-hopper Nelly, who dedicated an entire song to grillz, called them grillz, thereby renaming them and breathing new life. Russian-speaking people call these decorations differently, grillz, grills, grillz and others similar to the original.
A real pro in fronts and golds. Meet Eddie Plain
Trying to unravel the mystery of the invention and the original author of the idea of decorating teeth so extravagantly, they realized that all paths lead to the unknown Eddie Plein, the owner of the Eddie's gold teeth store, located in New York. It was he who came up with the idea of putting so-called “grids” on the teeth, made of all kinds of precious metals interspersed with jewelry stones. The pioneers and trendsetters for grillz were the real giants of black culture of that time, Flava Flav (Public Enemy), Koll G Rap.
Any rap artist considers himself obligated to visit a popular dentist, certainly on the condition that this becomes known to the general public, a real pro in fronts and golds, hip-hop slang definitions of grillz. And keeping up with the times, some representatives of pop culture have purchased this accessory and are now releasing it under their own name, thereby turning a smile into a chic advertising show. This is exactly what the famous rap artist Paul Wall did.
Plein himself is in no hurry to retire and throw away the opportunity to make money from his unusual invention. Even today he continues to delight his very famous clients with these outrageous accessories. Representatives of the “Dirty South”, who have already visited the dentist, whose names are inscribed in the history of music. Among them were Ludacris, Goodie Mob.
If you get the impression that this is a purely masculine piece of jewelry, then you just have to remember the various performances of Rihanna, who shocked fans with grills of various types and colors.
What materials are used to create the accessory?
Before ordering jewelry, you can choose the appropriate alloy and shape, and agree on a design sketch. If this is a high-quality product, the inside is usually covered with a special silicone layer, which not only provides reliable fixation, but also protects the enamel and mucous membranes from injury. Let's look at the main types of such accessories.
Simple stamped models
This is the most budget option, having a standard shape and size. However, it is precisely because of this that dental experts strongly advise against wearing such products. They rub the gums and injure the enamel, often causing microcuts on the mucous membrane, through which tissue infection can easily occur and inflammation can begin.
Stamped products have standard shapes and sizes
Some stamped models provide the possibility of self-sculpting, that is, you can literally bend them with your fingers and adjust them to the shape of your teeth. But there is certainly no need to talk about the sufficient quality and safety of such products. In addition, they are often attached to the distant teeth using special clamps, which also severely injures the enamel.
Grills made from cheap materials oxidize upon contact with the moist environment of the oral cavity. Because of this, their appearance quickly changes, and an unpleasant metallic taste appears in the mouth. All this has the most negative impact on the condition of teeth and gums.
Chrome-nickel individual mouthguards
An alloy of chromium and nickel is considered the standard solution for creating such jewelry. The accessory is attached to the teeth using a special insert located in the inside of the onlay. This is a relatively safe and acceptable option, but it is not recommended for constant wear.
The accessory is attached to the teeth using a special insert.
“And I really like these pads! Of course, you won’t wear them in everyday life, but at a party they are perfect! I'm like a crow, I adore everything shiny and sparkling))) I would like one with fangs and rhinestones. But this pleasure is worth it, of course... I remember a long time ago once I glued a rhinestone to my tooth, it looked very elegant..."
Sofy, from correspondence on the woman.ru forum
Silver grills
Silver grills on teeth do not oxidize upon contact with saliva. In addition, the material has bactericidal properties, which provides additional benefits. Judging by numerous user reviews, such decoration in the mouth even helps maintain fresh breath. If the product becomes dull over time, it can be polished and returned to its original appearance. Silver grills are often gold-plated, which allows you to save some money by not using solid gold.
Silver grills on teeth do not oxidize when in contact with saliva
Spectacular gold dental jewelry
Such decoration will be expensive. It is usually additionally decorated with precious stones, all kinds of inserts and engravings. These are the models that adorn the smiles of many popular show business stars. They are created individually for the customer, and the inner surface is covered with a special silicone material that protects teeth from mechanical damage.
Gold grills are usually additionally decorated with precious stones
Grills available to everyone. Expensive and cheap jewelry
Teeth jewelry such as grills, which are worn with great pleasure by world-famous stars, can easily be called works of jewelry and their cost, of course, is quite considerable. Almost all of them are created to order in certain dental clinics of aesthetic medicine and only from precious metals, gold, silver, platinum. At the request of the client, such products are decorated with a scattering of all kinds of jewelry stones; some prefer diamonds, while others prefer rubies or inimitable emeralds.
There are not only Grillz of this kind, precious design. You can purchase the coveted jewelry at a more affordable price for the average person. These decorations are made in specific standard sizes, using inexpensive metals for their production, and are inlaid with rhinestones.
But the designers and developers did a great job on the variety of forms presented. It is possible to purchase grillz that are very similar to the grin of a wild animal, the likeness of some objects or a set of letters, which makes it possible to compose a whole word or, for example, the name of the owner of such unusual grillz.
Cobalt-chrome casing: the history of Grillz Minsk
A dental accessory from America in the 80s has migrated to Belarus: a team creating custom grills has appeared in Minsk. We met with the Grillz Minsk duo and found out what grillz are made of, how much a “golden” smile will cost and why metal on teeth is cool.
Kostya
Anton
30 years ago, American dentist Eddie Plain decorated the teeth of rapper Just Ice with gold plates - thus the first grillz were born, launching the trend for a metallic smile. Until the 2000s, this accessory was perceived exclusively as an attribute of hip-hop, but in the 21st century, grillz got out of the mouths of rappers in the American south and found themselves on the teeth of pop artists, actors, etc. Now grillz are experiencing another heyday: rap freshmen boast about them, they are sold at auction and made in Minsk. Anton and Kostya are responsible for the last point - a compact team that decided to bring a little dental exoticism to Belarus.
In fact, grillz are a cast tooth: grandmothers used to have such teeth made of gold, and grillz are made using the same technique, only they are attached to “living” teeth. The guys started with simple “pieces of iron” attached to the teeth, and then, having gained knowledge about manufacturing methods and materials science, they began to pour silicone into the grills.
Kostya: I’m from Minsk, but for some time I lived in St. Petersburg. There I saw this culture with grillz - before that I had seen them in videos, but in real life they look especially interesting. When I returned to Minsk, I realized that no one was doing this here, so Anton and I thought that we could fit into this unoccupied niche.
Previously, Kostya did covers of Eminem, and then he went solo, and he met Anton, his partner, just after his solo concert.
“You can’t make grills out of stainless steel, because it might get corroded because of some cola.”
Anton: After the concert, we hung out at his house, and Kostya said that he had a problem with his teeth. And I’m a dental technician by profession, so I answered him something like: “Okay, no market, I’ll help you, I won’t even take money - just take me to your skating rink, I want to hang out with you.” That's how it all started.
Then I worked as a dental technician in a company, and the boss there asked me to make grills for some grandson. I made them, took pictures, showed them to Kostya, and everything developed into the grillz that we make today.
We make grills from cobalt-chrome alloy - this is an alloy used in dentistry for crowns and other things. I also put silicone in the grills - it is needed so as not to damage the enamel.
We use a dental alloy of metals because the grills are attached to the oral cavity, and there are a lot of things there - you can’t make grills from stainless steel, because it can become corroded due to some cola. This will not happen with this alloy - this is the metal that is not scary to shove into your mouth.
– What colors do you make grills in?
Anton: There is silver, “Indian” gold and zirconium gold. We don’t have the jaundiced color that guys in the West wear—we have a different taste.
If you have silver grills, you can walk around with them and repaint them in the future - you give me the grills, and I will repaint them gold. You walk around with gold and then you say, man, I want my silver back - no problem, I'll make them silver again. This is not a problem because it is just a spray.
– Is it possible to paint the grills a brighter color, for example purple?
Anton: The problem is that I both pour and spray grills in dental areas. And they don’t do violet spraying there - they only have what’s used in dentistry. In theory there is titanium that can be made in a shade of purple or green, but I haven't found a place that can get me titanium alloy grills.
At the dental clinic, guys are pouring out a mold. They take impressions of their teeth at home - Kostya usually does this. Afterwards, Anton takes the casts and works on them in the dentistry - from there he brings ready-made grills, into which, after subsequent fitting, silicone is poured, which completely follows the shape of the client’s teeth.
On average, they make grills in 14 working days, but the deadlines may change - if the client wants grills for two jaws with ten teeth each, then Anton will “grind” them a little more. At the same time, one tooth can be done in a couple of days, but on average everything revolves around two weeks.
“Alika grills are made with the help of two Chinese - one makes it and the other delivers, and five people are involved in working on our grills.”
– Which grills are the most popular?
Anton: Most often they take grillz for two teeth and put them on the fangs. But we advise you to fasten two on each side - this is not to rip off any money from you, but in terms of reliability of fastening: this will be more practical, because silicone wears out faster on single teeth. The more teeth you make, the longer and better the silicone sits.
In general, boys like to lusciously “sandalize” half their jaws, and grillz for one or two teeth are popular among girls. Although there was a client who made three grills for herself.
– Why do grillz have such a “biting price”?
Anton: There are people who come to our group and say: “Damn, 40 rubles per tooth, what the hell, why is it so expensive? I’ll go to Alik and buy grills there.” And there are grills there, and you should have seen these “squares” - models for the entire jaw there cost one dollar. But these grills are like the vampire jaws that used to be sold in stalls - you close your mouth in them, and your lip sticks out. This is complete crap, and our grills are completely handmade: one person’s model simply won’t suit another. I model the shape by hand and in principle I can do almost anything - it all depends on time.
I do everything by hand, and it’s not that easy because it’s labor-intensive work. And some stages cannot be done by myself - in the laboratory I can model, saw and polish, but I need to give the model on which the grills themselves will be modeled to the foundry and pay the people who will do this. Then you pick it up, model it and take it to the people who will pour the metal - again you need to pay the person who will pour it. It turns out that Alika grills are made with the help of two Chinese - one makes it and the other delivers, and five people are involved in working on our grills. Due to this, the price is such that the material is also included.
Kostya: If Moscow manufacturers see the prices for our grills, they will simply kill us: “Why is it so cheap?” Everything they have is 2-3 times more expensive, and I made grills for six teeth in Moscow for 20 thousand Russian rubles (about 640 BYN) - here such a set will cost a hundred dollars.
We are currently developing grills with different stones. Essentially, these are like varieties of sneakers: if you start making sneakers, then you need to do something with both thin and thick soles. And grills with stones are needed so that people can choose. We need to reach a level where we can fulfill any order.
We are also thinking of making grills from plastic: using the same technique, with silicone, but in different colors - schoolchildren often write to us who want the same teeth as 6ix9ine. And the cost of such grills will be less.
– Will you make grills for a schoolboy? The same tattoos in salons are done only from the age of 18.
Anton: Let's do it. We didn’t worry about the fact that someone’s dad would come and clean up my face because I stole his child’s money and teeth and did some incomprehensible crap. In general, my dad would rather clean up a tattooist’s face than mine—a tattoo is more difficult to remove than grillz.
– Do you need to take off your grillz or can you wear them all the time?
Kostya: These things are not intended for everyday use: if I want to eat or talk without distortion, then I will take them off and move on with my life. I take my grillz to some shoots and parties.
Anton: You need to understand that grills are an accessory. These are not crowns that are made so that you can live a normal life - they are just decoration with which you will look beautiful in the photo and stand out in the company. When we talk about caring for grills, we say that you need to wear them when you go to some kind of party, but you don’t need to eat or sleep in them. In general, sleeping in grillz is the last thing, because in a dream “single” grillz can be easily swallowed - it’s okay if they just “pass” through you, but they can also get caught somewhere inside with a fastener, and this will not fun. Therefore, protect yourself, do not do unnecessary things.
“If Moscow manufacturers see the prices for our grills, they will simply kill us: “Why so cheap?”
Now the guys are taking impressions of the house, while simultaneously creating their own studio: Kostya and Anton want to make a presentable place. The guys want to reach a professional level, so now they earn and save so that their clients come to a beautiful room with good equipment.
– What is your “flow” of clients?
Kostya: On average we have one order per week. It doesn’t happen every once in a while: it happens that three people come in a week, but some are postponed, others don’t come at all. It happened that we did nothing for several weeks, and then a bunch of people flew in to visit us.
– Is it possible to earn some income from grills?
Anton: So specific that you won’t work anywhere else – no. Most often we work for zero: earned - invested, earned - invested. I think this is a classic start for every business, but we manage to save money to build a studio.
– Why are grillz cool?
Kostya: Grillz are a great way to freshen up an image, and you can do different things with them. We are for people to stand out and do something interesting for themselves - we do not suggest that people fill their teeth and walk in line, but push them towards some kind of uniqueness.
Anton: We are so accustomed to a certain “sameness” that when I ride on the bus in sneakers of different colors, other passengers look at me like I’m a fool. Grillz are a way to break out of this “normality”, from invented norms. So be individual and don't be like everyone else.
Photo: Tanya Kapitonova
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What is the best way to choose and when is the time to wear them?
When going to interview Miley Cyrus, the American Harpers Bazaar could not imagine that the young, beautiful girl was a real Grillz fan. According to her own revelations during the interview, this became clear. Miley admitted that she has a whole arsenal of these jewelry for all, even the most important, occasions. From standard to the most unusual. The latter, according to the owner, are, of course, more suitable for some specific, important moment in life, and not for daily use.
Having decided to buy such jewelry, you need to clearly understand what role it will play in the image. For example, for an extravagant, slightly strange appearance, a large decoration would be more suitable, for the entire row of front teeth, for one or both, depending on desire. Katy Perry resorted to a similar technique, successfully shocking a large audience at the MTV Video Music Awards. Or maybe ones like Chris Brown's.
Shocking others with your image is not always useful. You can simply emphasize your individuality by wearing a beautiful grillz that matches your entire look on just one tooth, as Lana Del Rey successfully did, but if a single grillz is not enough, then you need to opt for an elegant design in a calm direction. Many popular performers, including Beyonce, resort to this method of decorating their teeth.
Cost and factors that influence it
The simplest and most inexpensive options are stamped models. Their prices start at $10. But high-quality individual grills will cost more. In this case, the cost per 1 tooth will be based on the following factors:
- creating a model from casts – 1500 rubles,
- a simple silver item without designer inserts – from 4,500 rubles,
- chromium-nickel grills without additional inserts – from RUB 4,000,
- complex silver accessory with engravings and notches – from 5 thousand rubles,
- applying gold plating to a silver item - about 2 thousand rubles.
The price of making a gold grillz is calculated individually. When calculating the total cost, it is necessary to take into account the taking of impressions, the selected material and decorative elements, the work of the master, and the complexity of the task. A shocking accessory is a great way to complement a bright look and attract attention. But don’t forget that beautiful, healthy teeth and a snow-white smile are always in fashion.
1Crispin B. Modern aesthetic dentistry. Practical Basics, 2003.
What you need to know about wearing grills safely?
Using grills to decorate teeth to create a unique, memorable image is not a completely safe activity for health. This method of standing out from the crowd hides many difficult difficulties and diseases. Their use can cause various reactions in the body, from banal allergies caused by inexpensive metals to more severe diseases. In general, improper care of teeth and oral cavity leads to severe forms of periodontal disease, and wearing grills only aggravates the situation.
When putting an onlay on a tooth, be prepared for damage to the tooth enamel, its gradual thinning and possible chips and cracks. While eating, food particles fall under the grill, which is a great environment for the proliferation of harmful bacteria and, as a result, the rapid formation of caries. These newfangled jewelry often cause persistent irritation of the gums and the entire oral cavity among owners, which is quite painful.
The range of risks is quite large, but it can be reduced, if not to zero, then to a minimum by following these recommendations:
- Purchase and use only temporary grills;
- Be sure to do hygienic cleaning before and after using jewelry;
- When cleaning and disinfecting the product, it is necessary to use only approved drugs;
- Remove before eating;
- Buy certified grills. It is very important.
Be sure to contact your dentist if you notice redness, slight swelling of the gums or pain in the mouth after using this pad. When visiting a specialist, you also need to bring a grillz, thereby significantly reducing the time for establishing a correct diagnosis.
Grillz of rappers
Having firmly entered the rap culture, grillz did not bypass almost any of its representatives. Rappers' Grills are amazing both in appearance and in price. In a way, the performers even compete to see who has the most expensive jewelry.
One of the most talked about is
Creed's grillz made of white gold , encrusted with diamonds. True, the singer admitted that they cost less than 10 thousand USD, which is quite modest by world standards. Yegor Creed's diamond grills look expensive and harmonize well with the same chain and watch, being an ideal accessory for photo shoots and music videos. But you can hardly expect a live performance by Creed with grillz on his teeth, because... such massive plates noticeably interfere with diction. It doesn’t feel like dental veneers at all; beauty requires sacrifice, and such an accessory brings a lot of discomfort.
6ix9ine
also pleased fans by demonstrating new grills . Multi-colored or so-called rainbow overlays with pointed teeth for 150 thousand. go well with the rapper's dark skin and skull chain around his neck. The bulky plates make it very difficult for Tekashi to speak, but this does not bother him at all.
rainbow grills , although the blogger also has gold ones with stones worth 200 thousand rubles, which he even raffled off among subscribers. However, Morgen recently chose to wear regular ceramic veneers like other stars. He installed them in a clinic in the Moscow region, where the blogger was put under anesthesia twice.
Among Western rappers, gold is more in fashion. So, the old man 50 cent , despite his love for showing off his native snow-white teeth and even bite, nevertheless, one day appeared before the public with iridescent jaws made of yellow gold. In this case, the upper one was divided into separate crowns, and the lower one was a solid plate. Lil Peep's diamond on both jaws are no less shocking.
If we consider the most exclusive and expensive grills in ascending order, we can make a small list of leaders in this area:
Kanye West – 60 thousand.e.- Lil Pump – 70 thousand.e.
- Lil Wayne – 150 thousand USD
- Lil uzi vert – 250 thousand.e.
- Quavo – 300 thousand.e.
Where can you buy a popular new product?
For all citizens living on the territory of the Russian Federation, the desired opportunity to purchase through various specialized retail chains is not yet available. You can get grillz for personal use only by purchasing them through Ebay. This portal presents a huge range of all kinds of standard linings from a variety of suppliers and manufacturers. Pricing policies are also different. The minimum price for one grill is approximately 300 rubles.
If your soul desires something individual and exclusive, in this case you need to pay special attention to finding a competent dentist. Once you find one, be prepared to visit his office several times. The dentist will need to take an impression of your teeth and work with a dental technician to create a custom onlay for the tooth.
Price for grills
If you order on Chinese websites, grills cost from 100 rubles , and those with stones cost about 600 rubles. If you make individual ones to order, grills for teeth cost from 4.5 to 20 thousand rubles . in Moscow, in Kyiv a little cheaper: 1-3 thousand UAH. The price of grills depends on the number of teeth involved and the complexity of manufacturing (laser engraving, inlay with stones). If this accessory seems too aggressive, you can consider more elegant and glamorous skyces for teeth as decoration.
