The stars of television, cinema and music have always set trends. His way of dressing, combing his hair, his tattoos, his piercings have been imitated by his followers. And with social networks little has changed this.
One of these latest fashions is dental jewelry (grillz) worn by such well-known characters in recent times such as the singer Rosalía. This fashion of decorating dental pieces is not something new.
As the doctor explains Oscar Castro Kingdompresident of , “the so-called grills or grillz are not new, they come from the 80s hand in hand with hip hop culture. Like all fashion, it has had its ups and downs, although it is true that, recently, the appearance in the media of famous people like Rosalía, Rihanna, Beyoncé or Madonna using them, always has the imitation effect as a consequence”.
Fortunately, “in our country there are no reliable data on the demand for grills, although it is very likely a minority”, explains the doctor.
What is true, that just entering the name in any Internet search engine gives us access to numerous portals where these dental jewels are sold.
What is a grill?
Dr. Castro explains that “grills are metal crowns, placed on one or more teeth, usually made of gold, silver or other precious material and usually have embedded diamonds.”
These dental jewels can be of two types, fixed or temporary. Fixed grills “require prior preparation of the tooth where it is placed, a preparation that involves wearing down enamel and part of the dentin,” the doctor details.
On the other hand, there are removable grills, “which are ordered to be made after a dental impression is taken, although there are also standard ones that have a much worse adaptation to the tooth.”
Problems derived from dental jewelry
Taking into account that we are talking about introducing a foreign element into our mouth, it is logical that these decorations cause more than one dental problem.
Doctor Oscar Castro lists the main pathologies that this fashion can cause in the mouth:
• Increased risk of caries.
• Gingival inflammation ().
• Gum recession.
• Interference with the usual bite (occlusion).
• Pain and alteration in the .
But not only that. The expert warns that “also, in some cases, allergies to the materials used in the grills have been described.”
Is there a safe way to put this type of decoration on the teeth?
“The first observation that we from the General Council of Dentists of Spain make is that fashion cannot be at odds with health. It is very important that whoever is going to make this decision is well aware of the potential risks before taking the step,” he stresses. the doctor.
“The second recommendation is see a dentist of trust, who will advise adequately on the technique and materials”, he adds.
In any case, if after consulting an expert and knowing all the cons, we are convinced to wear a grillz, the doctor insists that “it is important to understand that a grill adapted to the specific contour of the tooth is much more desirable than a standard one” .
Jeweled teeth: how do we care for them?
If we already wear one of these accessories in our mouths, the first thing that experts recommend is to go to the dentist if we have not already done so.
It is they, the dentists, who have to carry out “the periodic controls in which the adaptation of the grill, the gingival and dental condition, the occlusion of the patient, among other data of interest, will be checked.” All this with the aim of avoiding health problems.
In addition, Dr. Castro Reino warns that “grill wearers should know that, since their mouth is subject to a greater risk of pathologies, brushing self-care measures should be taken to extremesat least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, interdental hygiene and tongue hygiene”.