Eddie Plein: The Man Who Invented the Modern Grillz

Eddie Plein, born in Suriname and raised in Brooklyn, invented the modern removable grillz in 1983 after breaking a tooth on fried cassava in Suriname. Refusing a permanent gold crown, he studied dentistry and began crafting removable gold caps in his parents' basement. His first major client was rapper Just-Ice in 1987, whose grillz appeared on the album cover of 'Kool & Deadly,' sparking demand. Plein opened 'Famous Eddie's' at the Colosseum market in Queens, serving Flavor Flav, Big Daddy Kane, and a young Jay-Z. Imitators forced him to close and move to Atlanta in 1992, where he worked with OutKast, Goodie Mob, Ludacris, and Lil Jon. He retired in 2006 as the market became saturated. The history of dental ornamentation predates Plein: ancient Egyptians (c. 2500 BC), Southeast Asia (4,000-year-old ornaments), Maya (jade), and Etruscans (gold prosthetics, 800 BC). Plein's innovation was creating a removable, customizable accessory. Grillz entered high fashion via Grace Jones on Vogue Hommes in 1975, became hip-hop identity with Slick Rick and Wu-Tang Clan, and went mainstream with Nelly's 2005 hit 'Grillz.' Recent pop culture figures include Madonna (2014 Grammys), Rihanna, Cardi B, and A$AP Rocky. Plein's story was revived by filmmaker Lyle Lindgren in the book 'Mouth Full of Golds' (2021, reissued by IDEA in 2023) and a documentary premiered at Tribeca Festival 2026.