These Grills Aren't Made for Cooking

As the hip-hop era blazes on, more and more tweens and teens are putting their money (or their parents’ money) where their mouth is. One of the hottest items with urban boys today is a set of removable ornamental teeth - called a grill. In the billboard hit “Grillz,” rapper Nelly even devotes a whole song to them. To make a set, the seller makes an impression of the buyer’s teeth, using a mold kit and then ships the mold out for casting. Designs range from solid to etches to cutouts that show the enamel of the natural tooth. Mouth bling can come in several different materials, including gold, platinum and diamonds. Some kids are opting for multi-colored chompers, and others are even having their names etched in. As the popularity of grills soar, girls and younger kids are starting to get in on the dental decorations. Competition has driven down prices for basic grills to about $200 for a row of six, but if you want your smile to sparkle with the power of diamonds, you could be talking $5,000 to $10,000 for a grill that’s fully iced out.

WonderGroup’s Perspective

Hip-hop culture has driven the popularity of everything from cars to drinks, and it has always especially influenced fashion. That’s where grills come in - they are simply a fashion accessory, like jewelry. Helping fuel the market growth is the fact that grills meet some basic key drivers for teens and tweens. Of course, they allow wearers to imitatate their hip-hop heroes. For the “in” crowd that has them, they give a sense of belonging and popularity. And the way teens and tweens are able to customize their grills, gives them a sense of freedom to express their individuality. So it’s no surprise that grills are becoming as coveted as iPods in many circles. The difference between the two is that grills are not yet as universally desirable as i-Pods among all teen and tween demographics. That could change, though, as other hip-hop elements such as clothing and the music itself, have made the leap into mainstream. Plus, an unlikely ally is even pushing to spread grills to the masses. Grills are traditionally sold in jewelry stores, but now many dentists are looking into them as a way to generate additional revenue. Grills, like so many fashion trends of the past (tight-rolled jeans, slap bracelets, Hypercolor® shirts, etc.), do have a good chance of being nothing more than a quick, flash-in-the-pan fad. However, with a sizable sticker price, buyers are likely to want to get plenty of use out of their grills and fight against them moving from fashion to fad.