NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee lawmaker wants to outlaw anyone but a dentist from taking impressions for mouth jewelry known as grills or fronts.
State Rep. John J. Deberry Jr. said his "Grills Bill" is aimed at mall kiosks and jewelry stores that take dental impressions under less-than-sanitary conditions.
"I guess we can't outlaw the jewelry for your mouth," said Deberry, D-Memphis. "But we can make sure that it if your children go in there they are not getting an impression of their teeth with a mold and material that someone else has just used."
The customized tooth caps, popularized by rappers like Nelly and Paul Wall, are made of precious metals and jewels and can cost thousands of dollars for a full set. Some can be snapped onto the teeth, while others are permanently bonded to the teeth.
Deberry's bill would allow only dental practitioners to take impressions used in "the fabrication of a cosmetic metal apparatus to be worn in the human mouth, whether or not such apparatus features silver, gold, or platinum caps, jeweled inlays, or any other cosmetic features."
Dentists are already the only ones allowed to take tooth impressions under current Tennessee law, said Dr. Walter Owens, a Nashville dentist and executive secretary of the Pan Tennessee Dental Association.
"I think Rep. Deberry wants to be more specific to make sure that it is stated clearly that no one who is not a licensed dental practitioner can perform these services," he said.
Owens added anybody getting a dental appliance should have their dentist evaluate their medical history to make sure they won't have any allergies or other problems with their gum tissue.
Deberry said his personal feelings about the dental jewelry didn't factor into his decision to introduce the bill.
"I think that whether or not I have a problem with grills is irrelevant," he said. "I think people are going to do it, so there's no point in outlawing and pushing it underground."
Owens said he is concerned about what he called "the social implications and the cultural stereotyping" that the grills can encourage, but acknowledged there is little dentists can do about it.
"We can't change the value system," Owens said. "But we can protect the public by making sure that people who are not licensed practitioners can not fabricate appliances that go in the mouth. u
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