Gold teeth
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217633418
2008-06-06T22:36:08Z
Alan Liefting
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dab link
[[Image:Tajikistan gold teeth.jpg|thumb|A woman with gold teeth from [[Tajikistan]] - a place where they are considered a symbol of wealth.]]
'''Gold teeth''' are a form of [[dentistry|dental]] prosthesis. They are sometimes used for cosmetic purposes.
==Dental restoration==
Dentists have used gold for filling cavities (before mercury [[Amalgam (dentistry)|amalgam]] became available), for crowns, and for other purposes. Gold is malleable, nearly immune to corrosion, and hard enough to form a biting surface that can be used for years. Gold was used before silver was available and continued to be used for specialized purposes. After 1980, [[gold inlay]]s, and [[gold foil]] work became rare in the [[United States]].
==Cosmetic uses==
In certain regions of the world, especially in the former [[Soviet]] [[Central Asia]] and the [[Caucasus]], gold teeth are worn as a [[status symbol]], a symbol of wealth.<ref>[http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:auk_WShshpQJ:iwpr.net/%3Fp%3Drca%26s%3Df%26o%3D176640%26apc_state%3Dhenirca2004+%22gold+teeth%22+caucasus+%22symbol+of+wealth%22&hl=iw&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=il]</ref>
<ref>[http://candide.blogsome.com/2006/10/02/banning-gold-teeth/ Dans le meilleur des mondes possibles :: Banning Gold Teeth? :: October :: 2006<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
<ref>[http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:dRbyYl__scIJ:www.angelfire.com/ak3/bobjack100/azerbaijan.html+%22gold+teeth%22+caucasus&hl=iw&ct=clnk&cd=10&gl=il]</ref>
<ref>[http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:tdhH0G7xd5cJ:blogmenbashi.blogspot.com/2004_04_01_archive.html+%22gold+teeth%22+caucasus&hl=iw&ct=clnk&cd=11&gl=il]</ref> <ref>[http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:GDicfSSlIYgJ:blog.myspace.com/intrepidstrawberry+%22gold+teeth%22+caucasus+%22status+symbol%22&hl=iw&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=il]</ref>
[[Grill (jewelry)|Grills]], false tooth covers made of metal, have become a popular hip hop fashion in the United States. While some rap musicians have had their gold teeth permanently attached to existing teeth, most people who purchase them for aesthetic purposes opt for removable gold teeth caps.<ref>''[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1471097.stm "Gold teeth are a gold mine"]'', [[BBC]] News. August 3, 2001. Retrieved January 16, 2006.</ref> In 2005, Nelly released the rap single ''[[Grillz]]'' which promotes the dental apparatus.
==Gold teeth and the Holocaust==
During World War II, [[Holocaust]] victims' gold teeth were melted down by the Nazis.<ref>''[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/156338.stm "Americas Holocaust legal action welcomed"]'', [[BBC]] News. August 22, 1998. Retrieved March 12, 2006.</ref>
==See also==
* [[Grills (jewelry)]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
* ''[http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/05/01/BAG32CIDA81.DTL The gold standard of style: No longer just for tough guys, glittering grills go mainstream"]'', [[San Francisco Chronicle]] (SF Gate). May 1, 2005. Retrieved January 16, 2006.
[[Category:Teeth]]