Grillz are an edgy addition to any jewelry collection. From their history to how to buy some of your own, read on for everything you need to know about grillz.
Not to be confused with outdoor cooking, grills are a fashion accessory that everyone thought would last for maybe a few years.
Covering your teeth in gold, diamonds, and other gemstones exploded in the early-to-mid-2000s. It was a way to one-up the gold chains and watches: wear your jewelry in your mouth.
Most hip-hop fans of the 2000s will naturally place the trend at its peak when Nelly released “Grillz” featuring Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp.
This is when you saw more permanent grillz and non-hip hop artists rocking fake ones, like Madonna and Marilyn Manson. Though, not as popular these days, they are still sought after.
If you’re interested in learning more about teeth grills, then let’s take a closer look. Here you’ll learn what they are, how much they cost, and how to wear them.
“Let Me See Your Grill!”
Like the gold chain, grillz are another way to express one’s creativity and personality. Getting a grill can be as straight-forward as molding gold teeth identical to yours or bedazzling them. Many artists will even spell out a word or phrase on their grill.
A grill can be made from various gold purities, silver, platinum, and encrusted in diamonds, rubies, topaz, sapphire, and so forth.
The only real limit here is your budget, as is with many fashion trends. Depending on where you go, how much you want done, and the style of your grill, the price can vary wildly.
Let’s take a closer look at the selection of grills out there.
Types of Grillz
For some of the most outlandish artists, they have chosen to literally encapsulate their real teeth with gold, silver, and platinum. This is an entire dental procedure that requires molding and affixing the gold and diamonds to the gums. For everyone else, there’s removable alternatives and custom molds.
We’ll go over the pros and cons of each.
Permanent
You don’t go into permanent blingafication of your teeth unless you:
- Have the money
- Have done the research
- Are about that life
Going permanent will be both expensive and very involved. Your dentist must be experienced with this type of operation. This is often a good replacement for those who already have false teeth or “ugly” natural teeth.
Kanye West is one famous example of someone who got a permanent grill installed. His bottom front row is all gold and diamonds. Fans of his work will appreciate this decision, given that a car accident messed up his smile.
Instant Sets
Next is the most common form of the grill, one that is premade and ready to fit most teeth. Instant grillz are pre-molded to fit your teeth and usually contain very little precious metals or stones. This keeps things affordable and accessible.
Obviously, these make a great fashion accessory that you can bring out whenever. You won’t feel obligated to wear them all the time, like with the other types of grillz. There are some drawbacks worth mentioning, though.
Cheap grillz made by wholesalers online may use materials that can cause allergic reactions. The instant grill is also bad for your teeth under prolonged use. It can trap food particles and scrape off enamel.
Do your research and be vigilant with your teeth. No amount of coolness is worth your dental health.
Custom Sets
If you want a grill that will not look cheap, but isn’t permanent, then you order a custom set. You can do yours DIY or see a dental specialist to get your custom mold done. You can purchase a custom molding kit and send it off to a company that will process them into grill caps.
These grill caps sit more naturally and come with a lower risk of dental problems that instant grill sets have. Although, having to mail and wait for the molding to be manufactured is a bit of an inconvenience.
The good news is that a custom grill really isn’t that expensive if you go this route. It will come down to the karats, if you’re just aiming for gold teeth. This can be between $100 and $1,000, depending on the price of gold and features.
Celebrities have paid upwards of $150k for grillz that are filled with diamonds and platinum. There’s really no limit when it comes to extravagance, even when it comes to your mouth! If you need something more practical, check out this company.
What and How to Wear a Grill
Smiling is a very attractive and important part of fashion. Rappers got so used to “mean mugging” and scowling, but as soon as the grill came up, it was all smiles. Okay, you can wear a grill and still look mean, but the point stands: you gotta show them off!
Now, we’re not here to tell you that you should never buy the cheap instant grillz. If you do, however, plan on wearing one more than once a month, you should go for a custom grill. You’ll get a lot of value out of a quality grill, just do your research and shop around.
Okay, after you have settled on the perfect grill, let’s talk style. Believe it or not, a grill can work with more than just old-school hip-hop clothes. We’ve seen them work great in suits or sandals.
Get the Looks You Want
Either one of two things will happen while wearing your grill in public: you’ll get laughed at or you’ll get stared at. Many people get intimidated being around someone wearing a grill.
Stereotypes are hard to shake off, so you’ll be mistaken for someone ignorant or without manners.
Don’t worry about the haters, just perfect your style. Depending on what you chose to accent in your grillz, you may want to match your clothes with them. Gold is easy, pair it with dark and neutral colors. Bright colors can work for beachwear and alternative looks.
If your grill has diamonds in it shining like a disco ball, then try going for the modern man, professional gangster look. It’s okay if you don’t have the face to look “hard” in them, that’s part of the charm.
Most grillz pair great with some dark shades, too. Make sure you grab a pair of nice sunglasses, not the cheap Blues Brothers kind. You don’t want to be out there looking like Stevie Wonder trying to be hip. (No offense to Stevie, he’s a legend!)
Where to be Seen
It’s okay to admit that you want to be noticed when you’re wearing a mouth full of gold and/or diamonds. Not every place is going to be receptive or even care about what you’re wearing, of course.
The typical places that will show appreciation are going to be clubs, hip-hop concerts, skating rinks, barber shops, and etc.
The beach is a place you shouldn’t overlook, either. All that sun is bound to catch some attention. Malls, grocery stores, and restaurants will be a mixed bag.
Basically, places where younger, less judgemental folks congregate is where you want to hang out.
Get Your Money’s Worth
As you know, Affordable Comfort is all about staying within your means. In order to get the best grill for you, we’ve gathered a few shopping suggestions. The online marketplace is big and confusing, so you should find this useful.
Instant Savings
This is for those who can’t spend more than a hundred dollars on their grill. Before you scour Amazon and eBay looking for deals, check out Niv’s Bling and King Ice, first. These two brands have the best quality for this price range.
They’ve been in business long enough to build up a reputation for safe and solid construction.
Middle-tier
You can actually find some instant grills that cost over a hundred dollars, but you might as well go for customs. Now, the most affordable custom grills out there will be found locally.
If you don’t have a local jeweler that deals with grill molds, then you’ll have to look online.
Custom Gold Grillz have good reviews and reasonable prices.
They are going to have similar-styles as the celebrity jewelers, only without the outrageous prices. You can get away with a mouth full of cubic zirconium without breaking the bank.
Lavish Teeth
If money is of little importance, you should consider buying your grill from the best. Johnny Dang is the infamous jeweler for Paul Wall and Nelly. He’s still in business, too, charging tens of thousands for his work.
Is it worth it? Well, that depends how serious you are about your mouth. Do you want the bragging rights? Do you want VVS diamonds spelling out your name?
There’s outlandish and then there’s spending thousands on fake teeth.
More Fashion, More Style
We hope you enjoyed this guide to becoming the iciest, brightest, smile on the block. The look is definitely one of the most iconic fashion accessories in the new millennium. Just don’t try to rob a jewelry store to make your grill, okay?
Hey, if you like this trip down fashion history, be sure to check back daily at our blog. We have plenty more interesting tips, guides, and trends for you to follow.
