Gold teeth are used all around the world for practical and aesthetic reasons, and have recently become popular in some circles as a cosmetic and fashion accessory. In fact, the use of gold in dentistry is actually quite old, with gold being used for fillings, crowns, and other purposes for a number of centuries. While the use of gold in teeth is mostly practical, it is popular in some countries and cultures for cosmetic reasons. For example, in parts of Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Central Asia, gold teeth (Zahngold ankauf) are worn as a way to symbolise wealth and luxury. While white teeth (weiße Zähne) are definitely the norm, in some cultures within the United States, gold teeth and other luxury teeth implants are also common.

Dentists have long used gold for practical reasons, such as filling cavities and implanting crowns. In fact, gold was available long before the mercury amalgam that most people associate with dental fillings today. Gold has a number of properties that make it ideal for dentistry work, including its malleability and immunity to corrosion. However, while gold is still sometimes used in dental fillings and other specialised dental work, it is mostly popular today in cosmetic dentistry. People generally get gold teeth and other luxury dental implants as a way to symbolise luxury, wealth, and success. While many people associate the gold tooth craze with the hip hop community in the United States, the use of gold teeth in the US actually goes back to Florida in the 1960s.

Some of the most common luxury dental implants in the west include gold crowns, teeth grills, metal teeth covers, and removable gold teeth caps. Gold can either be permanently installed in place of healthy teeth or used in a removable fashion. Diamonds are also sometimes used as a way to present a wealthy and striking image within the rap and hip hop communities. While gold teeth can be used for practical reasons, their use today is mostly limited to cosmetic dentistry where they symbolise luxury, wealth, and success.