Dental crowns come in lots of different substances, one of the extra popular being gold. Because gold is a malleable material virtually immune to erosion, it makes a great oral substance for replacing teeth. However, golden teeth have held different appeals across the years, and their suitability to replacing natural teeth is only one of the explanations as to why they’ve been popular.
The practice of using gold in dentistry can be traced to 2000 B.C. in Asia, where modifying chompers was considered beautiful. Later, in the 16th-century Philippines, colonizing Spaniards found that the locals modified their chompers with gold; the Spaniards did not like this. At least in Asia, if not also in the Philippines, golden teeth were a indicator of social status and elevation among the cultural elite.
In America, golden pearly whites have also played a part as status-signifiers. Early American boxer Jack Johnson wore golden tooth caps to signal his success, and more recently, Mike Tyson (who idolized Johnson) wore golden dental crowns. Professional musicians such as Ludacris, Beyonce, Miley Cyrus and Madonna have also worn golden and metal chompers as a fashion, in the form of “grillz.” Golden chompers are still worn as a status symbol in many countries of the world today.
Regardless of whether you have golden crowns, porcelain crowns or no crowns, the staff at E.G.I. Dental is ready to aid you in amping up your oral health to make your teeth shine. Please call 916-683-1994 to schedule your next appointment with Dr. Warren Cheung and their team in Elk Grove, California.
