4 days ago
Perth dentist reveals side hustle making custom grillz
An Inglewood-based dentist has built a unique side hustle in creating custom dental grillz, blending his professional background in clinical dentistry with his strong passion for hip-hop culture.
Dr Maheer Shah, also known as Dr Grillz, said his early obsession with Grand Theft Auto set the stage for his unexpected career twist.
A backstage encounter with some DJs wearing grillz inspired him to begin experimenting with making them himself.
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'They said you have to go to America to get them,' he said.
'I was like 'I'm a dentist' and then my friends were like 'you should get into grillz' and that was 10 years ago.'
Dr Grillz said people had said they had no idea his service was in their 'backyard', with some travelling as far as South Korea to get the service.
'There was no one doing it here. I couldn't even find anyone to make them for me,' he said. Dr Grillz. Credit: Tom
'I started taking moulds of myself and just sending them to techs locally and overseas to see what they could do.'
Dr Grillz said he had faced scepticism from some dental surgeries which did not see grillz as a part of dentistry.
'Some of the surgeries I worked at didn't really gel with it. They'd say 'this isn't dentistry',' he said.
'But to me, dentistry is about expression, feeling your best and a grill is a part of that.
'I still do 90 per cent general dentistry but smile makeovers are my thing.' Dr Grillz says grillz can make girls look more edgy. Credit: Ross Swanborough / The West Australian
He emphasised the importance of health in his grillz, ensuring that they don't damage the teeth or gums.
'I'm still a dentist first and one of our big values with Dr Grillz is health,' he said.
'I really want to do this in a way that's good for your health, and not ruin your teeth or gum because that's like I'm failing at my main job.'
Dr Grillz said a lot of people dreaded going to the dentist.
'You don't really get much positive reactions but with this kind of work you build really tight bonds, you become homies,' he said.
'When you get it done they feel like a million dollars. So that just that's so fulfilling compared to pulling out wisdom teeth; no one gets excited for that.'
Dr Grillz said grillz were often misinterpreted but they had been around for longer than people think. Diamond implants are available. Credit: Ross Swanborough / The West Australian
'It's not just gangsters; grillz have existed for thousands of years. Mayans, royalty, Egyptians .. .people always wanted gold in their teeth,' he said.
Dr Grillz said for the first eight years, almost all his work came through Instagram.
'People would DM me and I'd literally drive to their house and do a mold there because I didn't have a proper office,' Dr Grillz said.
Dr Grillz plans to open up his own office which will merge clinical dentistry with the creative.
Grillz have surged in popularity recently, especially among women, and he's now creating permanent diamond tooth implants — one of which he believes may be the first of its kind globally.
His services range from $200 for a single temporary silver tooth all the way to $10,000 for diamond implants.
'Grillz are the ultimate accessory. The next evolution of self-expression after tattoos.' Dr Grillz said.
