Gold Teeth: More Than a Fashion Statement
Photo credit: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/gold%20teeth
Maybe you find yourself frustrated with men like Trinidad James and his song “All Gold Everything,” showing a mouth full of crooked teeth covered with enough gold to make the debt payments that he will have to deliver when he eventually declares bankruptcy. But Malcolm Morrow has another point of view. He says that there is a long and rich history associated with gold teeth and that maybe you should look at it differently.
Not sure if this article is going to change how you look at people like Trinidad James, but we do know that gold has been a symbol of obsession for thousands of years. It only makes sense that there might be something more to it.
Gold teeth have positive and negative connotations associated with them. In recent years, gold teeth have been exclusively associated with the hip-hop community; however, they were used by many cultures in the past.
Historically, gold teeth were indicative of wealth and prosperity. Many cultures ranging from Asian to Africa used gold teeth as a status symbol of power. In the past decades when the use of gold teeth in dental procedures came to the forefront, it was viewed as attractive and was seen by many to be a way to tell who had the money and the power within the community.
Dentists have used gold for filling cavities, for crowns, and for other purposes. Because gold is malleable and nearly immune to corrosion, it had great value in dentistry. In the past, acquiring gold teeth was an expensive dental prosthetic. With the advancements in dentistry, the value of gold teeth has declined. Instead of acquiring permanent gold teeth, many people resort to purchasing grills, i.e. false tooth covers.
How do you feel about gold teeth?
Malcolm Morrow, a Your Black World Network contributor, is a senior, criminal justice major at The University of Southern Miss.
Comments
3 Responses to Gold Teeth: More Than a Fashion Statement
Leave a Reply
Follow Us!
Draws more attention to ones’ crooked a** teeth! I just wish it was another group leading the gold teeth revolution, especially when we are known for buying “disposable goods” (does not accrue interest but depreciates after we buy it) more that any other people group in the country. Black people have been tracked as buying the most expensive new gadgets, although we earn less than those same people groups in the survey. Our unemployment is always the highest, yet we are still doing things that make no sense financially. Even though time has proven that we still do not feel like a real part of this society and never have, it still hurts to know that other groups know this about us and market gadgets to us and most of our young kids think its because they have impressed them somehow. Capitalism is ruthless and no feelings are spared for the all mighty dollar. In some ways rejection creates a need to feel apart of the whole rather than be reminded that you are left out. It helps us psychologically to feel like we are apart of something, but conversely portrays us as incompetent. I guess I get it, but it still hurts to be a part of a people group that other groups laugh at and depend on to buy things from them to survive. We fund all the other people groups, because historically we have been left out of the money making machine and have thus become consumers in an age when other people groups and the rest of the world have grown very critical of consumption. WOW! We are buying dumb stuff while the rest of the World is becoming mindful of the negative impact on the environment. I praise those in the community putting the word out that “going Green” is not just for other people-groups, its a world issue. We can lead this charge instead of gold teeth go green! The first shall be last and the last first, but only if take this opportunity right in front of our faces!
Akbar
January 25, 2013 at 5:45 am
Can’t wait to retire so I can get mine. Hopefully weed will be legal by then–gon’ get that too.
Harold
January 25, 2013 at 1:32 pm
Irrespective of its cultural origins, the unnecessary use of gold teeth projects a sense of vanity and/or superficiality.
H. James Roseau
January 27, 2013 at 3:10 am