Yes, this is the new and highly popular trend these days among the rich and not so rich, adding jewels to make the smile shine some extra megawatts. Adorning themselves with colorful jewels and stones has been a favorite among mankind since time immemorial, and man has been wearing various different kinds of jewelry in their neck, hands, ears, nose, eyebrows, belly buttons, feet, toes, fingers and even the tongue. So it does not come as a surprise that teeth would also be decked with gold, silver and other fancy precious and semi-precious stones.

In Europe the fashion for tooth jewelry has been ongoing for quite some time but United States is rather new to the idea and people are just becoming interested. Even though capping the tooth with cold or silver caps is rather common around the world, adding different kinds of jewels is still relatively new.

Tooth jewelry, as it is referred to, is attached to the enamel of the tooth. The place on the tooth where the jewel is inserted is slightly roughened in order to stick the jewel with bonding liquid. Dental composite is also used and the jewel is stuck. The process is simple, easy and completely pain free. It can be expensive or cheap depending on the type of jewel you opt for.

There are quite a few options when it comes to the kind of jewel that people want for their tooth jewelry. It is available in many shapes, designs, colors, materials and stones. Some options include metals like gold, silver, white gold in shapes like crosses, hearts, golf balls, stars, moons, skulls, butterflies, insects, animals, emoticons etc. Some common jewels include rubies, amethyst, emeralds, opals, zirconium, diamonds, etc.

Dental jewelry may not seem like a bold statement, but they stand out the minute you smile or laugh. On the other hand, for dentists or dental hygienists, it as an increase in visits from their patients. Why? Because dental jewelry would mean that wearers are not as careful about their brushing and flossing routines any more. What’s more, insertion of these tiny metallic or crystalline objects lead to accumulation of bacteria and plaque on the teeth and gums.

Dental Grills

Sounds painful? Well they too are a rather new fashion mania. Introduced in the ‘80’s, dental grills were originally used by hip hop artists that were made of metal wiring and were at times covered in jewels. Also known as fronts, they can be removed and then fitted on the front teeth again. They can be expensive or cheap depending on the metal and jewels that they are created out of.

Dental Grills=Oral Health Issues

The sad part of the story if you are a fan of metal grills is that they can be hazardous for oral hygiene. Why? Because they allow for the collection of germs, bacteria and plaque on the teeth as well as the gums! The worst thing though is that people who wear them become less concerned about dental fitness and do not pay regular attention to their dental cleanliness. This leads to gingival margin and tooth decay in the long run. Some other things that can occur because of dental grills include gum recession, chipped tooth, abrasion to teeth and tooth discoloration.

This is the reason why many districts like Texas, Alabama and Georgia have banned the use of dental grills.

Tooth Jewels are Safer

This may come as a surprise but it is true. Tooth jewels are relatively safer than grills. The answer to this is simple. It is because they do not cover the whole of the gum line or all of the teeth but rather a select few only. This means that cleaning or managing brushing becomes easier. As per the research of American Dental Association, dental grills can be hazardous as they allow for the containment of bacteria inside the mouth. The owners of dental grills need to be vigorous and vigilant about cleanliness and hygiene.

Dental jewels on the other hand are not as yet on the list of ADA list of potential dental hygiene risk list. This may be because the whole concept of teeth jewelry is still comparatively new but risks seen are few. There are home kits available that people can use to apply jewels to their own teeth but it is recommended that the jewels be applied by experts so that there is no damage to the tooth and no kind of decay.

Regular Dental Visits for Sparkly Smile

There is simply nothing more important that the health and hygiene of your teeth for a bold looking sparkly smile. And no jewels or grills can compete with that. The healthy smile you achieve by paying regular visits to your dentists beat all other kinds of sparkle and bling.