DENTAL GRILLZ - CRITICAL ANALYSIS AND PATIENT OPINIONS

Purpose: Based on a historical review of the development of "dental grills" to critically analyze and conduct a survey on patient's view on "dental grills" about the medico-biological indicators - functional, aesthetic and preventive. Material/Methods: A web search on related keywords was conducted, and the articles related to the phenomenon were analyzed. A direct survey was conducted, with a questionnaire containing 7 questions. Results: We found a serious historical and cultural background of dental decorations on front teeth in the literature. For the first time in Bulgaria, a pilot survey was conducted among patients to assess the various medical and biological indicators in the application of dental decorations (grillz). The majority of patients (77.8%) that participated in the study were aware of the "grillz" phenomenon. Attitudes are rather negative towards their qualities in relation to the three medico-biological indicators - functional, preventive and aesthetic. The same applies to the social appropriation of people wearing these decorations. Conclusion: Decorations on front teeth have a profound history in many cultures and also contemporary manifestations but have not been sufficiently studied. Among dental patients in Bulgaria, attitudes are rather negative towards their qualities in relation to the three medico-biological indicators - functional, aesthetic and preventive.