Yes, gold grillz can cause tooth decay if worn long-term without proper hygiene.
You see them glittering on the red carpet, in music videos, and all around Instagram.Gold grillz have changed from an obscure hip-hop statement into a worldwide fashion craze. But while they steal the show under the lights, there is a question that we hear from our patients coming to Turkey for the smile of their dreams again and again: “Will these gold caps rot my teeth?“
Simply put, the answer is no if you take care of your mouth and can keep the bacteria levels low.
However, the longer explanation is quite intricate. We at Lema Dental Clinic know from our experience that usually, the grill is far from the primary antagonist—it is the microenvironment that the grill forms. Let us explain what is happening to the tooth if you put a gold cover on it and how you can maintain a healthy and gorgeous smile simultaneously.
The “Greenhouse Effect” on Your Teeth
You can compare your mouth to a garden that is constantly seeding different kinds of bacteria. Saliva is like the rain that rinses it off.
Covering your teeth with a snap-on gold grill is the same as putting a greenhouse on your garden. You cut the flow of saliva which is protecting the teeth, but at the same time, you trap sugar and leftovers from food along with heat, moisture, and, most importantly, bacteria against the enamel.
Our top oral surgeon in Istanbul, Professor Doctor Coşkun Yıldız, uses a simple explanation when he talks to his patients about this issue: “Let’s say you don’t clean or barely clean your grill. In this case, you would be bathing your teeth in acid.”
This acid in your mouth, which is stuck there, will gradually dissolve the calcium in your enamel. After some time, this process will not only create holes in your teeth, but also lead to decalcification, the appearance of white square patches, which are left on the teeth even when the grill is removed.
Material Matters: Gold vs. The “Mystery Metals”
Grillz are not the same in terms of material quality. The majority of fiascos in the clinic come from this situation.
Pure gold, especially 18k or 24k, is referred to as “biocompatible” by us. It is a noble metal, so it doesn’t rot, corrode, or chemically interact with your saliva. Quite often, high-quality gold is very well tolerated by the gum tissue.
We should warn you against the cheap, online-purchased grillz that are made of base metals such as nickel or cobalt and oare nly gold plated. These base metals can be corroded by the wetness of the mouth. They frequently come to us with inflamed and bleeding gums. It is not due to the shape of the grill but rather a severe allergic reaction in the gum tissue caused by the nickel.
Removable vs. Permanent: A Critical Distinction
We at Lema Dental Clinic have to emphasize the difference between two totally different things which people both refer to as “grillz.”
1. Removable Grillz (Jewelry)
These are snap-on decorative pieces. You don’t have to get your teeth filed down to wear them. You take them to the party or the photoshoot and you take them out to sleep.
- Danger Level: Moderate.
- Main Danger: If the fit is loose, food gets trapped and irritates the gums.
2. “Permanent” Grillz (Gold Crowns)
This is a medical treatment. Dentist Polen Akkılıç and her team prepare the natural tooth (by shaving it down) and cement a full gold crown on it.
- Danger Level: Low (if carried out professionally).
- Main Danger: Bad margins. When the crown is not a perfect fit, germs leak under the edge and cause tooth decay in the area that nobody can clean.
The Trade-Off: Style vs. Safety
Are you dreaming of a trip to Turkey just to have a new smile? Then, check out the comparison of your choices below.
| Feature | Removable Grillz | Permanent Gold Crowns | Porcelain Veneers |
| Procedure | Only impressions (no drilling) | Tooth reduction required (drilling involved) | Minimal tooth preparation |
| Reversibility | 100% reversible | Not reversible | Not reversible |
| Hygiene Risk | High (food and plaque can accumulate underneath) | Low (functions like a natural tooth) | Low |
| Decay Risk | High if worn continuously without proper hygiene | Low if margins are well sealed | Low |
| Durability | 2–5 years (subject to wear) | 15+ years | 15+ years |
How to Wear Grillz Without Ruining Your Smile
The look is what you want. We won’t do anything to stop your desire. Here are some basic rules that we give to our patients and which have helped them keep their teeth strong and healthy behind the flashy and shiny grillz:
- The 4-Hour Rule: Do not wear removable grillz longer than 4 hours in one go. Under no circumstances should you sleep with them on.
- Floss Before You Flex: Your teeth have to be totally clean before you put on the grill. If plaque is present on your teeth, the grill will become a perfect place for the bacteria to multiply.
- Wash the Jewelry: You know (or you should know) this, but there are still a lot of people who forget. Wash the interior of the grill after taking it out using warm water and soap (not toothpaste, as it can damage gold).
- Listen to Your Gums: When you wear the grill, if your gums start to bleed and/or feel itchy, remove it immediately. Metal allergy is most probable that or it could be a bad fitting of the grill that is injuring the tissues.
FAQ: The Doctor is In
We are really strict with this one and thus strongly discourage it. Gold is a soft metal. Biting into a gold grill can change its shape which will inevitably result in a wrong fit. The worst part, food basically will get wedged between your tooth and the metal, which makes the enamel undergo an acid attack immediately. To eat, take them out.
Our field is a total facial beautification that also comprises veneers and crowns. Although part of the work we do is creating permanent gold crowns for a patient who’s particularly into that artistic side, our main concern is with medical-grade restorations that first and foremost ensure the health of the bite and jawbone.
Most of the time, it is a clear indication that the grill doesn’t fit your mouth in a good way. It is similar to a rough-edged orthodontic retainer that forces your teeth to move in a direction they shouldn’t be. Furthermore, if it is hurting, it means that the ligaments that hold your teeth in place are starting to get damaged.
No, it’s better if you avoid that. Toothpaste is abrasive and contains grit that is meant for scrubbing enamel. Gold is a lot softer than enamel. Toothpaste can cause microscopic scratches on gold, which will make it lose its luster and bacteria will also accumulate there more easily over time. Use mild dish soap or a special jewelry cleaner.
No, but only if done correctly. The gold crown which is glued to the tooth is sealing it. Therefore, if the inside edge (where the gold meets the tooth) is perfectly sealed by the dentist, bacteria cannot penetrate. You will only get decay if the work is shoddy or if you don’t brush the gumline properly.
- American Dental Association. (2006). Grills, ‘grillz’ and fronts. Journal of the American Dental Association, 137(8), 1192.
- Henson, H. A., & Lambert, R. (2024). Dental Grillz: A Review of the Literature and Clinical Implications. Dental Update, 51(1), 61-65.
- Kaur, H. (2022). Tooth adornments, gems, and grills. International Journal of Oral Health Sciences, 12(2), 50-53.
- Kwiatkowski, P., & O’Donnell, J. A. (2015). Cytotoxicity of Elements Released Clinically from Gold and Ceramic Crowns. Tanta Dental Journal, 11, 189-193.
- Mtolo, T. M., & Motloba, P. D. (2021). Grillz and Gold Teeth – Esthetic, Economics and Ethics. South African Dental Journal, 76(8), 493-496.
