Why getting gold teeth is more than a fashion statement

by Malcolm Morrow

Many cultures ranging from Asian to Africa used gold teeth as a status symbol of power.

Maybe you find yourself frustrated with men like Trinidad James and his song “All Gold Everything,” showing a mouth full of crooked teeth covered with enough gold to make the debt payments that he will have to deliver when he eventually declares bankruptcy.  But Malcolm Morrow has another point of view.  He says that there is a long and rich history associated with gold teeth and that maybe you should look at it differently. 

Not sure if this article is going to change how you look at people like Trinidad James, but we do know that gold has been a symbol of obsession for thousands of years.  It only makes sense that there might be something more to it. 

Gold teeth have positive and negative connotations associated with them. In recent years, gold teeth have been exclusively associated with the hip-hop community; however, they were used by many cultures in the past.

Historically, gold teeth were indicative of wealth and prosperity. Many cultures ranging from Asian to Africa used gold teeth as a status symbol of power.  In the past decades when the use of gold teeth in dental procedures came to the forefront, it was viewed as attractive and was seen by many to be a way to tell who had the money and the power within the community.

Dentists have used gold for filling cavities, for crowns, and for other purposes. Because gold is malleable and nearly immune to corrosion, it had great value in dentistry. In the past, acquiring gold teeth was an expensive dental prosthetic. With the advancements in dentistry, the value of gold teeth has declined. Instead of acquiring permanent gold teeth, many people resort to purchasing grills, i.e. false tooth covers.

How do you feel about gold teeth?

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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

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