COBALT-CHROME the dental alloy behind our grillz.

01

What the alloy is made of

Cobalt-chrome isn't a single metal: it's an alloy, a deliberate mix of several metals in precise proportions. The base is cobalt and chromium, with a bit of molybdenum and trace elements that give it hardness and corrosion resistance. It's the same family of alloys that dental labs have used for decades for custom frameworks, exactly because it holds up in the mouth without rusting or giving way. It isn't gold and doesn't pretend to be: it's a technical metal, chosen for how it performs, not for its name.

Cobalt

The main element: it gives the alloy the structure and rigidity that keep the grill's shape on your teeth, without deforming with use.

Chromium

This is what forms the passive layer that protects against corrosion: the reason it doesn't blacken or oxidise the way real silver would.

Molybdenum and traces

Small amounts that push resistance and stability even higher. No surprise ingredient: it's a standard formula, not scrap metal.

I don't melt the alloy at home. Your piece starts from a 3D scan of the impression, then I sculpt it digitally to measure and have it printed in cobalt-chrome ISO 22674 alloy by a certified centre in Italy. When it comes back to me, I do the finishing and the mirror polish by hand at the workshop in Monte San Giusto. That way the material is the right one and the piece is truly yours.

02

Why I use it instead of brass

If you look for grillz at twenty or thirty euros online, the metal is almost never properly declared. In most cases it's brass or zamak with a thin plating on top. They work for a photo, but they're built to cost little, not to sit against your saliva every day. I start from the material, not from the sale price: here's the concrete difference between the three routes.

Brass

A copper-and-zinc alloy, cheap and soft. With saliva it tends to oxidise and leave that metallic taste; the thin plating on top wears off fast.

Zamak

A die-cast zinc alloy, the one used for gadgets and buckles. It costs next to nothing and is easy to work, but it's brittle and not meant to sit in your mouth.

Cobalt-chrome ISO 22674

The dental alloy I use: hard, stable, corrosion-resistant. I don't choose it to save money, I choose it because it's the right one for a piece you wear on you.

It's also why I don't start at twenty euros. The Essential in dental alloy starts from €100 per tooth and the Premium with 24Kt gold-effect PVD from €135: you pay for the real material and the made-to-measure handwork, not a plating that vanishes in a month.

03

What ISO 22674 means

ISO 22674 is the international standard that sets the requirements for metallic materials used in dental restorations and frameworks: it defines how they must behave mechanically and in terms of biocompatibility to sit in contact with the mouth. When I say the alloy is certified to ISO 22674, I mean the material used to print it meets that standard. It's a guarantee about the metal, its composition and its traceability, not a marketing label.

What it does NOT mean

Be careful not to read more into it than there is. The standard is about the material, not about my finished product. What I make stays removable dental jewellery: a made-to-measure piece, not a medical device and not a prosthesis, and it carries no medical CE marking. I use a dental-grade alloy because the mouth deserves respect, but for treating teeth the reference is and stays the dentist.

04

Nickel and sensitive skin: let's talk

It's the question I get most, and the honest answer is this: the cobalt-chrome I use is based on cobalt, chromium and molybdenum, and nickel is not one of its alloy ingredients. It's one of the reasons this family of alloys became common in dentistry in place of others that do contain nickel. The material is also compliant with the nickel-release limits of the REACH regulation, the ones designed exactly for items that sit against the skin.

That said, I won't sell you the zero-allergy fairy tale for everyone. Sensitivity is personal, and if you know you react to metals it's right to tell me first: we talk it through in chat and figure it out together, for instance the Premium with PVD coating, which adds a layer of gold-effect titanium nitride between the alloy and your teeth. If you have a serious diagnosed allergy, the opinion that counts is your doctor's, not mine.

05

How it ages: polishing and care

The advantage of this alloy shows over time. It doesn't blacken like real silver, which oxidises and yellows, and it holds up well to daily use. With normal cleaning, mild soap and a soft brush, it stays bright for a long time. The mirror polish you see when it arrives is done by hand by me, not by a machine, and it's the same finish I can redo if after months of use the piece loses a little shine.

On the Premium, the 24Kt gold-effect PVD coating is durable but thin: it lasts a long time if you treat it well, less if you clean it with abrasive products or toothpaste. No material is forever if you abuse it, but a cared-for cobalt-chrome piece stays with you for years. If you need the right routine, I've written it all out.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about cobalt-chrome alloy