“I saved them to a board of things I wanted to try to change my appearance. But the trend’s rising popularity lately seems to be due to Pinterest. Wearing gems on your teeth isn’t a passing fad or trend it’s long been a part of Latino culture, dating back to the earliest documented examples in the Mayan Empire.

Some celebrities-like Kanye West, Hailey Bieber, and Katy Perry-have worn tooth gems recently. Mayan Tooth Gems Tooth gems have been called out by social activists as a form of cultural appropriation, but it hasn’t stopped front-page celebrities from getting them. He says that gems are “inlaid stones,” while grillz “appear to be embellishments done in overlays.” The difference is simply the application method. Becker pointed out that today’s tooth gems are different from another tooth embellishment trend-grillz. He noted that those disks varied in both size and number, but “one large disk per tooth was most common.”ĭr. “Disks of jadeite or pyrite were most common,” Dr. However, the ancient Mayans didn’t use diamonds and rhinestones. They could also be a status symbol, indicating a high position in society. The tooth gems were used as wealth and status indicators, and archeological excavations in the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal have found examples of this elaborate dental work.Īrcheologist Marshall Becker-professor emeritus of anthropology at West Chester University-told PopSugar that tooth embellishments “most likely indicated wealth” in a community. The act of teeth embellishment actually goes back to the ancient Mayan civilization. But what they might now know is that tooth gems have quite the history behind them. Young people all over social media are documenting their journey to getting tooth gems and touting it as a fun and unique way to spice up their look. Jhenelle Hill: I got my first tooth gem about six months ago.

Bobbi Peterson, who places tooth gems for celebrities like Justine Skye, to see how one is placed by one of her repeat clients. Pinterest claimed that searches for “tooth gems” have skyrocketed in recent months, with an 85 percent increase year over year. Celebrities including Drake, Hailey Bieber, and Katy Perry seem to love adding them to their smiles. Three decades later, the recently released Pinterest Predicts 2022 report has revealed that the trend is making a comeback among Gen Zers.Īs cosmetic dentist Sharon Huang explained to PopSugar, the tooth gem trend involves using “rhinestones, crystals, and in some cases, diamonds” to decorate your teeth. They believe that wearing jewels in their teeth lift their spirits because it encourages them to smile much more and feel better about themselves. For about ten minutes in the 1990s, there was a brief tooth gem trend that had young Gen Xers like myself embellishing their teeth. For many people, tooth gems represent a way to show their originality, a magnet to attract glances when they walk down the street.

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