I recently moved to New Orleans from a small town with not many black people, and one thing I've noticed is that a lot of black people here have gold teeth. I don't understand why they do this because I don't think it looks good. Is there a reason they do this? Is it cultural? Is there some sort of history behind it? Or is it cheap? Don't mean to sound ignorant, but I've had more than one friend who has moved here from somewhere else wonder the same thing.
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Name : Brenda19419, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Unitarian, Age : 25, City : New Orleans, State : LA Country : United States, Occupation : Nanny, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, I had to answer since I am from New Orleans. The gold tooth thing is a regional oddity, like coconuts or beignets. In the early '90s, rappers from New Orleans, theretofore unheard of, used it as a publicity stunt. Why that particular thing, I don't know, but in any case it is part of what propelled rappers from New Orleans to the national scene. Of course that had the effect of perpetuating it. These days every young person thinks rap is cool, and rappers are cool, so they want to imitate. If you're still wondering why only black people do it, it's because (duh) New Orleans is 80 percent black. You'll have to go to Michoud to see Asians with gold teeth, or Chalmette to see whites with gold teeth.
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Name : Mandi, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 21, City : Boston, State : MA Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, At the risk of sounding classist (OK, I'll go ahead), I think this is a cultural custom of lower-class blacks. Maybe you only notice the black people with gold teeth because they stand out, or maybe you have only seen lower-class blacks (depends on where you live and work). In the integrated neighborhood where I live, I can't think of when I last saw someone black with gold teeth. Now, go downtown or to some of the less affluent areas, and you will see some. Is it a problem? Does it hurt anyone? I think it's just a style choice - not my style, but there are lots of things that are not my style.
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Name : Ramonna30217, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Episcopalian, Age : 50, City : St. Louis, State : MO Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, It is not cultural, it is just a trend that is popular with the 'hip-hop' crowd now, especially in the Deep South. There is no history behind it, either. It is the same thing as white kids painting their faces and calling themselves 'goth'. It is neither cultural nor historical, just a trend. Interesting that blacks don't seem to relate every 'white' trend as being 'cultural or historical'. It is a fad that many young black men take part in, just as white kids have their fads.
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Name : Amber31550, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 23, City : Greenville, State : NC Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I have lived in Metairie (which is on the outskirts of New orleans) all my life, and it is not just New Orleans where you will find guys with gold teeth. I think guys here think it looks good, but in reality it looks cheap and tacky. I do not know what would make a person want gold teeth; they are known to rot your real teeth if you keep them in too long. There is no history behind them; it's just that guys here think they make them look good.
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Name : Leeley E., Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 25, City : Metairie, State : LA Country : United States, Occupation : graphic designer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Gold teeth are fashionable status symbols among those who wear them - and they indicate how 'cool' a person is, or the amount of money one has to spend on such frivolous commodities. Some go so far as to wear diamonds or engraved initials in these teeth. It really isn't that different from other types of people who insist on wearing alligators on the outside of their shirts.
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Name : Nerd Gerl, Gender : F, City : Sacramento, State : CA Country : United States, Some of us do this because we like to show the money we have. Gold teeth are not cheap - they are really expensive. Down South is known for having people with 'bling bling' in their mouth. You have nothin' to worry about; just because we wear it don't mean we are goin' to rob you!
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Name : Jazmine, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 17, City : Troutman, State : NC Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, I really believe the gold and platinum teeth appearance is just a phase that will blow over. It's pretty much the same phase that Caucasians went through in the '80s when the spiked mohawk was fashionable.
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Name : Arree C., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 30, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, From what I understand, it's mostly another tactic to gain attention. It seems like some people will do anything to get looked at nowadays, and then have an excuse to ask you back, 'Whatcha looking at?'
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Name : Jesse Chapman, City : Palm Coast, State : FL Country : United States, I would like to make a clarification to those that have said the gold tooth wearing is a trend: it actually is not, and it dates back as early as the 1920's. If you look at charicatures of black people from this time period, you will often see them with gold teeth. The reason for this was that black people from the south tended to be poor-- having a gold tooth, as stated earlier, was a status symbol. You couldn't afford a cadillac or a nice house, but then, nobody could. But if you could afford gold teeth-- it impressed your friends and family, because they were an expensive luxury, but not so expensive you seemed condescending (as it would if you showed up in the ghetto driving an expensive car one day).
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Name : Chris32195, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Mixed white/black, Age : 25, City : Phoenix, State : AZ Country : United States, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, There is some truth in many of the statements... But unless you guys are blind to going to the dentist...gold caps have been around long before it was an open available option to blacks Rap has popularized getting your teeth plated or capped to show status or as a fashion symbol. Its the next step up in rap from the big gold chains and its a fad thats going to fade sooner or later. Until then -- just enjoy life. 100% gold teeth as a fashion statement are in the same category as a mowhawk, looking goth, or grunge.
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Name : Mr-Black, Gender : M, Age : 32, City : Miami, State : FL Country : United States, Social class : Upper class, Nothing racial, but I always thought anyone in the world with gold teeth looked kinda cheesy like a sleaseball car salesman or something.
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Name : nbs, Gender : F, Age : 30, City : New York, State : OK Country : United States, They do this for the same reason why white boys wear fitted pants, mullet hair do's, and can't dance. Preference and culture. Just because YOU don't like it doesn't mean others don't. I bet you even get scared when you see gold teeth. Typical.
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Name : keith26546, City : new orleans, State : LA Country : United States, The responses posted here seem to say this gold teeth thing is not historical, that it is a recent trend, I am a 44yr old white man living in the South(South Carolina) all my life, Ive seen gold teeth on black men all my life and the people with them were of all ages, at the age of 10 I first noticed this on a man who was in his 50's, and it is not just regional to New Orleans.
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Name : Mike20449, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Baptist, Age : 44, City : Spartanburg, State : SC Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, It is a small way to show people how you feel and to be seen among different cultures of people.
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Name : Takela, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 25, City : Greenville, State : MS Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 
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