The gold standard of style
No longer just for tough guys, glittering grills go mainstream
- Meredith May, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, May 1, 2005

Prom dress -- check. Corsage -- check.

Gold teeth -- check.

At this month's prom, Mika Castro is going to be the bling of the ball. The 18-year-old chose removable gold teeth covers, or "grills," to make fashion history at Westmoor High in Daly City.

"I like the way they shine," said Castro, showing off a row of eight gilded teeth behind her bottom lip. "No one at our school has them, but I'm starting to see them on girls on the bus more often."

No longer just for rappers and street toughs, gold teeth have gone to the girls. For prom or a day in the park, girls from the Bay Area to the Bayou to the Bronx are accessorizing their smiles. Bay Area makers of the removable mouthwear say teenage girls are the fastest-growing segment of their customer base.

"Three years ago, if a girl came in here and placed an order, it woulda been like, 'Whaaat?' " said Martin Montoya, who makes molds for the ladies at Gold Tooth Masters in Oakland. "Now girls are 15 percent of our business."