7/2/2023 0 Comments Teeth gems ancient![]() While tooth gem technicians are an alternative to applying the gems at home, it is always recommended to do research beforehand to make sure they are legit. "I'm a big fan of jewellery and they give me the look that I'm going for without having to put anything on."Īs the trend continues to get the Gen-Z stamp of approval, there has been a rise in people claiming to be professionals within the space. "The tooth gems have been my everyday accessory," said Grah. "I've always been interested in trying things that were out of the box and tooth gems were right up my alley." The gems also feel like an easy way to look put together without much effort - a big plus for jewellery lovers who don't like the fuss of putting it on. "I saved them to a board of things I wanted to try to change my appearance," she said. YouTuber Glorya Grah also found out about the gems on Pinterest. "I also went to a few parties where I saw a few people had them and thought they were so dope." "I got so inspired from images I saw on Pinterest," said influencer Nya Williams. On the flip side, others say that tooth gems are merely for fun. As such, the argument is only fair that white people don't take part in the resurgence of the tooth gems trend at all. More recently, white celebrities like Katy Perry and Hailey Bieber have been praised for wearing tooth gems (with the latter even wearing them to the Met Gala), but when Kanye West stepped out with his, the coverage was much more speculative. Becker and Turfa believe that most wearers of tooth gems today are aware of the true history of teeth embellishments, but social media users have recalled a noticeable shift in the way that tooth gems were reintroduced by media outlets when worn by white celebrities today versus the negative perception that surrounded grillz in the 90s. "Tooth embellishments most likely indicated wealth ," Marshall Becker, professor emeritus of Anthropology at West Chester University and archaeologist, told POPSUGAR.Ī post shared by João Mateus Biasi people believe that the latest iteration of the trend is just another way for white people to appropriate Black culture. Archaeological excavations in the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal have found that elaborate dental work (like teeth gems) often indicated that the person held a high position in society. Identified as a practice in ancient Mayan civilisation, teeth embellishments were used as indicators of wealth and status in a society. This is exactly the case with tooth gems, because while they may be touted as a fun way to spice up a look, the act of embellishing teeth has deep historical roots. Yet, with the overwhelming media attention on trends that re-emerge back into popular culture, it can be easy to overlook where they originate from. ![]() Numerous teens have documented the process of getting gems applied across social media apps like TikTok, while other even shared how to achieve the look at home - prompting professionals to explain why DIY-ing the trend is dangerous. Now, the trend is making a comeback as Gen-Z puts their own spin on it. Popularised in the '90s, teeth were often decorated using "rhinestones, crystals, and in some cases, diamonds," cosmetic dentist Sharon Huang, DDS, MICOI, told POPSUGAR. It was believed that if you had white teeth, you would die young.In the recently released Pinterest Predicts 2022 report, Pinterest states that searches for "tooth gems" have increased 85 percent year over year, but the act of embellishing teeth is not a new phenomenon. ![]() This was because they thought that having white teeth was bad luck. Then, during the Renaissance, people began wearing small pieces of colored glass in their teeth. These were very expensive so only royalty could afford them. In the Middle Ages, people wore crowns made of gold and silver. The Egyptians believed that if you had a good set of teeth, your life would be long and happy. Today, people wear these types of jewelry all around the world, but the tradition of using tooth jewelry dates back to the 19th century. These pieces were often decorated with precious stones, like diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and pearls. The term “grill” comes from the Spanish word grillón, meaning “tooth.” In the early 1900s, West Indians began wearing tooth jewelry, which consisted of small pieces of metal or enamel that fit over individual teeth. Some people like to wear them all the time while others prefer to use them occasionally. ![]() These discs come in many colors and designs. ![]() The most common type of tooth gem is a small round disc which fits over the front part of the tooth. They were originally made of gold, silver, or platinum, but now they are mostly made of plastic. Tooth gems were first used in the 1990s when dentists began using them to decorate teeth. ![]()
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