DENTISTRY GOES HIP-HOP

Gold has been featuring in an unexpected place with latest trend seeing the precious metal being placed on teeth. Tooth jewelry is now the popular accessory in the US and the latest craze in the body art movement. Dr. Bruce Freund is a New Jersey cosmetic dentist who has seen an increasing number of hip-hop stars and young people in his practice who request a smile with some extra ‘sparkle.’ As Dr. Freund says, "Every body part has been painted, pierced or tattooed... why not teeth?" However the latest fashion is not a new idea, with anthropologist Michael Coe revealing ancient Mayans used to ground their teeth down and place a jewel where the piece of tooth once existed. The idea is very popular in Canada and Europe too, with rap stars cited as a key reason behind the trend, showing off smiles set off with gold caps.

How does one snap on the bling bling?
They are caps that actually fit over your existing teeth...both front and back. They look exactly like permanent caps, except you can take them out when you don't want to wear them. Removable caps are caps that are individually customized to your mouth. The caps slip over your existing teeth, completely covering the original tooth. This gives the impression you have permanent silver, gold, multi-color stone or platinum teeth. What's nice, however, is that you can insert the caps and remove them as you wish. Dr. Freund designs the caps to fit a patient’s exact mouth by taking an impression. The finished product results in caps that fit perfectly....they will not fall or slip out. They will only come out when you willingly remove them.

Do they look real?
"Absolutely," says Dr. Freund. "Caps are made with precision tools in a laboratory and are custom made to a mold of a patient’s teeth. They will only fit this individual’s teeth and will fit perfectly. No one will know they are only caps except the patient."

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can a patient eat & sleep with the caps in? Depending on the shape of the teeth you can eat with them with caution. If the snap on teeth wrap around the back than it is safe to sleep with them without risk of the teeth dislodging.

How long will the caps last? Indefinitely they come in a jewelry box with a jeweler’s cloth for cleaning.

Can I wear caps if I have a permanent retainer? Yes. They would be made to fit with the retainer.
Are there any dangers or harm to the real teeth? No as long as they are taken out routinely.
What is the cost for the top and the cost for the bottom? It depends on the cost of the jewelry itself and if it is precious or not precious stone. Patients can be creative and draw up their own design or look at a catalog. People can put existing stones they already own on the mold.
How long does it take for the snap on teeth to be made? Typical turnaround time is a week to 10 days.
Is the procedure painful? It is 100% painless. It takes about 20 minutes to make the mold itself.

www.drbrucefreund.com