Grills: jewellery for your teeth

Dental decorations have been around for hundreds of years. From ancient Mayan tooth drilling to gold pegs, our teeth have been used to embellish and reflect aspects of our identity and culture.

Gold fronts or grills were established in New York in the 1970s. Tooth adornments were soon worn by rap and hip hop artists and became a popular fashion statement.

The process of making dental grills - or grillz - involves taking a mould of a client's upper or lower teeth, fabricating a wax design, casting the metal, perfecting the fit, adding jewels and etchings, before polishing to a brilliant finish.

With thanks to Milk and Honey London.

This film features as part of the Teeth exhibition at Wellcome Collection:

[KeepCalmEden]

This was a really well done video, I didn’t get bored at all

[carpocraftguitarscarpentry]

Strange times we live in, but I guess it's no different than tribal markings of the past. We are all in one Tribe or another

[MarkEthanTV]

My favorite is the one with the lines 😍

[MsCeCe-mnmz]

wished the pictures showing all the different kinds of jewelry didnt change so fast. its hard to get a good look...

[IPODsify]

What the hell was that, a wax soldering iron?

[BossinAZ_EnT]

Hey I want to shop! I want an 8 Tooth 18k Yellow Gold Top Deep Cut/Perm style.. How much is that rate for since your website isn’t a business link?

[holladestino]

How do you whiten your tooth when your have a single permanent gold tooth

[WEARETHEBROWNSURBANFAMILY]

I want too go too school for this any advice?

[LikeWyze]

Y’all should’ve chose somebody else’s teeth for that thumbnail 😂

[spiderone]

How can i get a pair from u guys. Need me a number

[thecashbandit]

If it ain't a Johnny dang grill I don't want it 😂