It has become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon.
Modern day music icons have started wearing it, and their devotees
have likewise adopted the style. I'm talking about a gold tooth, and
how it has become a fashion statement in this day and age. You have
seen many hip hop artists sporting a gold tooth, or even gold teeth,
and sometimes, these dental fixtures even possess some ornate
designs. Small figures are drawn on their small surfaces. The names
of the people close to their hearts are written in some of them. And
within weeks since Nelly released his rap single "Grillz," many hip
hop enthusiasts have started wearing them as well.
Originally, gold teeth were used for dental restoration. Gold is a
material that is malleable enough to form the shape that needs to be
filled, and it is durable enough to withstand the wear and tear that
the teeth usually have to endure.
Currently, there are two ways by which you can have your own gold
1. Permanent dentures, that is, by embedding your tooth with gold
plating. This will be a permanent installation.
2. Tooth cap, that is, by making a gold jacket for your tooth. This
can be removed.
Though golden dentures are hot, hot fashion style these days, it
must be remembered that there is a tragic history behind the same.
During the second World War, when Adolph Hitler was rounding up the
Jews, gold teeth were extracted from their scorched bodies. The gold
in these dentures were then collected and refined to create more
objects made of gold... gold which Hitler offered to what he has
termed as the superior race, the only people according him who had
the right to wear gold.
American soldiers aren't spared as well. During the very same World
War, there were reports of US marines extracting gold from the teeth
of fallen Japanese soldiers.
Those were dark, dark times. People had so much hatred in their
hearts, owing to the violent nature of war. Also, people had a
pervading sense of survival. It was a war, after all. Everyone's
lives were threatened.
Thankfully, those days are gone, and we are now in a new era of
peace and enlightenment. And the fact that golden dentures are being
used for cosmetic and stylistic purposes these days actually bode
well for how far we have grown as a human race... ONE human race.