You know that one of your aunts have several gold inlays on her back molars because she keeps bragging about it. She is even pestering you to have a look, which you would not do for a million bucks, by the way. And now, most of your friends are sporting real gold teeth veneers and grills or grillz. These are the temporary metal teeth caps with crazy designs.

What’s going on, you ask?

Believe or not, gold has been a popular prosthesis in the dental profession for decades. Gold, although denser and heavier because of its metallic composition, is quite malleable, and easier to work with. A dentist can work with this metal even if his or her practice does not have a specialized laboratory. Gold is also nearly immune to corrosion. Despite its malleable nature, gold is still dense enough to form a hard biting surface that can last for years on end. Gold inlay was also very popular since these were almost permanent once installed.

Also, during that time, gold was considered more attractive than silver and wood. Silver and wood were used as teeth replacement during the early days of tooth restoration.

Using real gold teeth as prosthesis (replacement parts) was not considered a luxury back then, but rather as a necessity. Other types of prosthetic materials had yet to be invented that can match the quality of gold. Silver was used as an alternative, but only if gold is not available. Silver is more difficult to work with since it tends to melt at higher temperatures than gold, and not as malleable either. Wood was the cheapest kind of prosthetic but these posed so many health hazards that the practice of making wooden teeth replacements was quickly abandoned.

Ceramics should have been a great alternative too, but earlier production of ceramic based teeth prosthesis proved to be too much for the underdeveloped technology available to dentists back then. These days though, ceramic prosthesis is used more extensively than gold.

Nonetheless, in some cultures real gold teeth became symbols of wealth and affluence. In such scenarios, more the gold teeth you have in your mouth, means the higher social status you have. And as such, this cosmetic prosthesis now became a form of luxury, rather than a necessity.

Lately, more and more people are opting for the use of gold in teeth, but only for cosmetic purposes. Gold veneers and gold encrusted grills were popularized by hip hop artists and quickly became the rage among the younger generation. Although most of these decorative pieces are temporary and can be removed and replaced at anytime, some hard core grill enthusiasts have opted to make permanent gold teeth veneers as part of their overall image.

So are real gold teeth necessities or luxuries? The answer depends on the wearer.