Portal:Fashion/Selected article/8

In hip hop culture, a grill (also front or golds) is a type of jewelry worn over the teeth. Grills are made of metal and are generally removable. They began to be worn by hip hop artists in the early 1980s, and upgraded during the 90s in New York City, but they became more widely popular during the mid-2000s due to the rise of Dirty South rap and the more mainstream pop culture status Hip Hop attained. Though grills are fitted to the tooth impression of the wearer, whether they are safe for long-term wear is unknown. Grills are made of several types of metal (often silver, gold or platinum) that is sometimes inlaid with precious stones; they are generally removable, though some may be permanently attached to the teeth. Grills can cost anywhere from one hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, depending on the materials used and the number of teeth covered. Grills were most often worn by 18- to 35-year-old African American male hip-hop listeners. They were recently reintroduced into the mainstream and onto network TV by olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte. During the 2012 summer olympics he posed with a grill that sported stones in the design of an American flag, having previously worn diamond grills after earlier competitions.