Young adults are always seeking new ways to stand out and express themselves. Unfortunately, many have chosen to alter their natural smiles with Grillz. While many choose to wear these grillz to look cool, “gangsta,” or bejewel their looks, teeth grillz are a dangerous trend for your dental health!
Grillz, Fronts, or Grills
Grillz, also known as fronts, has been popular for years. Whether they are worn to emulate your favorite rapper, make a statement, or think they are so cool, the bottom line is that they put your oral health at risk.
What are teeth grillz?
They are popular dental enhancements that can be permanent or removable. They are generally made of gold, silver, and other non-precious metals. Many are jewel-encrusted with diamonds or other precious stones. Some even had gold crowns on their teeth to form a grill. The scariest part of getting teeth grillz is that jewelers and not dental professionals make them. Think about this for a minute; you wouldn’t go to a dentist to have jewelry made, repaired, or cleaned. So why would you go to a jeweler to have an oral prosthetic made for your mouth?
Precision, skill, and experience go into making a dental implant, braces, and crowns. Dentists go to dental school to learn their craft. Implants and dentures are made using your mouth’s measurements. Grillz are made without this know-how. Their fit is not specific to the dynamics of your mouth!
The Risks Of Wearing Teeth Grillz
Maintaining good oral health prevents long-term issues that can cause medical conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease and can affect your diabetes. Understanding the oral damage that can be done with grillz will help you make an educated decision about fronts.
The precious metals and jewels they use for dental grillz may harm your gums. These metals can leach into your gums, causing allergic reactions. They can also irritate the gums, creating sores on your gums and inside your mouth. At the very worst, you could have an anaphylactic reaction to these metals, resulting in emergency help or death.
You increase the risk of tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease while wearing grillz. The plaque, tartar, and bacteria become trapped between the grillz and your teeth. As you eat and drink, this bacteria lives on the sugary foods and beverages you ingest, becoming acid. This acid rots your teeth and makes your gums red and inflamed. Eventually, your teeth will decay, and you could get periodontal disease and an inevitable loss of teeth.
Grillz that are too large for your mouth affect your bite. This will make it more difficult to close your mouth. This could lead to jaw pain and jawbone popping. You may also experience headaches.
Unfortunately, some think wearing teeth grills keeps your teeth in perfect alignment. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Wearing fronts over a long period will throw off your tooth alignment. Remember, a dental professional did not make them, so they were not made for your specific needs. Loose grillz not only make it harder to talk, but they can severely damage gums and teeth.
Teeth loosened by poorly fitting grills are at risk for tooth decay, poor mobility, and periodontal disease.
Horror stories of people gluing their grillz in place are all over social media. Not only will the glue damage your tooth enamel and irritate your gums and the lining of your mouth, but the glue could be fatal if ingested!
Bejeweling your grillz can cause other hazards. Bacteria and plaque builds up around the jewels in places a toothbrush and dental floss cannot reach, exposing your teeth to decay. The adhesive used to hold the diamonds and other gemstones in place may irritate the gums and your tongue. If the stones should come loose, biting them could crack a tooth. You could also swallow it if you are eating!
Bad breath (halitosis) is common when proper oral hygiene is not routinely done. The bacteria and acid that ruin your teeth smell foul and make your breath unpleasant.
Grillz Care to Improve Your Oral Health
Despite the warnings, you want to get the grillz. Be smart about it. Have a dentist make the dental grills for you. This will ensure the metal used is safe, and the proper measurements will be done to prevent damage to your teeth and gums.
Whether your grillz is permanent or removable, brush your teeth thoroughly after meals and snacks. Follow brushing with flossing and a dentist-recommended mouthwash. Be sure to brush around the gemstones to ensure no bacteria can grow there.
Avoid sugary, sticky foods and beverages that feed oral bacteria.
Removable grillz should be cleaned before and after use. Don’t wear them all day to avoid mouth and jaw injury and tooth decay.
Never use jewelry cleaner or harsh chemicals to clean permanent grillz and gemstones.
Always check the stones before wearing your grillz to ensure no stones are loose.
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Keep in mind that trends never last long. Take the money you would spend on dental grillz and use it to improve your oral health. Nothing is more stunning than a beautiful toothy grin!
Using a holistic approach to dental care, the Shtern Dental Clinic staff offers anxiety-free, bilingual dental care in a calming, artistic environment. Located in Cancun, Mexico, we provide dental care to all patients. Tourists and non-locals are a large part of our dental practice! If you need periodontal care, dental implants, or all on 4 implants, our expert team is here to help. Contact us for a consultation and start your journey to great oral health with the best dentist in Cancun!
