"Diamond shots," Diana captioned her Y2K denim outfit which she accessorised with 2000s hit jewellery, grillz. Hers is a chrome silver clear grill on her lower teeth.
Diana is wearing a denim crop top, denim booty shorts and Denim blue canvas/neon white platform high heel boots.
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Now, the first two reasons why grillz represents social power and status are purely observational. One, you may not be able to talk properly with these oral accessories. And who needs words when your status speaks for you? Two, you need a serious dental care plan because grillz can be wildly unhealthy for your teeth.
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But what is it about grillz that screams status?
It all begins in Italy with the Etruscans who existed from around 800 BC to 200 BC before they were overtaken by the Roman Empire. Gold appliances were found in this civilization, and it appears these appliances were moulded and then stretched over original or replacement teeth. However, it is unclear if this was done for practical or aesthetic purposes.
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The Mayans, however, experimented with grill-like tooth decor during their classical era from 500 to 1000 AD. After drilling holes in teeth, they would use a paste-like substance to attach jade, the green precious stone.
The royal and wealthy wore the tooth décor as a symbol of status and wealth, but also as a statement of responsibility.
Symbols of brotherhood
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When the Mayans were eventually conquered by Spanish conquistadors, this culture was eroded. However, the fact that colonial forces attempted to erase that aspect of culture is said to have played an important role in making grillz so popular in rap and hip-hop (cultures that were considered controversial and perhaps not given adequate respect).
While gold teeth and fillings became obsolete in the U.S. with the use of porcelain, resin, and other metals, in other countries like Jamaica, the West Indies, the Dominican Republic, and Vietnam, gold dental work remains popular and sometimes serves as a status of wealth.
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Rags to riches
It was from the immigrants from these countries that gold teeth started appearing in the U.S. and catching the attention of others, especially in diverse neighbourhoods in New York City.
They started becoming a fashion statement of street style, symbolizing that the wearer was both “from the hood” and had the cash and freedom to show off costly tooth decor.