Grill (jewelry) - Characteristics and Wearer Demographics

Characteristics and Wearer Demographics

Grills are made of several types of metal (often silver, gold or platinum) that is sometimes inlaid with precious stones; they are generally removable, though some may be permanently attached to the teeth. Grills can cost anywhere from one hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, depending on the materials used and the number of teeth covered.

Grills were most often worn by 18- to 35-year-old African American male hip-hop listeners, They were recently reintroduced into the mainstream and onto network TV by olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte. During the 2012 summer olympics he posed with a grill that sported stones in the design of an American flag, having previously worn diamond grills after earlier competitions. However, grills are worn by both men and women of all races, at least to some extent, as well as by celebrities far from hip-hop culture like Marilyn Manson or Travis Barker of Blink-182. Many members of the metal band Avenged Sevenfold wear elaborate grills as well. Lil Wayne is also a popular artist known for his custom grills. Korn frontman Jonathan Davis wore a pair in the music video for the song "Coming Undone."