Start with the two rules, because they are not preferences and everything else is.

A grill is removable jewellery. Nothing should ever be bonded to a tooth. And it comes out to eat, to drink anything but water, and to sleep. Follow those and a grill is harmless; ignore them and it is the fastest way to trap food and acid against enamel.

Fit is the whole product

A piece cast from an impression of your own teeth seats evenly, stays put when you talk and does not press the gum line. A stock size does none of those things, whatever the listing says.

That is why any serious maker posts you an impression kit before quoting a final price. If somebody is willing to ship a grill without one, they are shipping you an average.

Metal: solid, and then karat

Solid versus plated is the decision that matters. Plated brass photographs identically and wears through at the biting edge within months, exposing base metal in the one place you least want it.

Among solid metals: 10K gold is hardest and best for daily handling, 18K is richest in colour and softer, 14K is the middle and the most ordered. Sterling silver is the sensible first piece and tarnishes, which is a polishing cloth rather than a fault. Platinum is the hardest-wearing and the most expensive.

Stones: set, never glued

A set stone sits in a seat cut into the metal and is held by prongs, a bezel or an invisible channel. A glued stone is held by adhesive that fails with heat, moisture and handling — which is precisely the environment a grill lives in.

Natural and lab-grown diamonds are optically the same; the difference is price and provenance. For a piece handled every day, lab-grown is a reasonable choice and no one will know but you.

Coverage: start smaller than you think

A single cap or a pair of fangs is far easier to talk in than six connected teeth, costs a fraction, and is what most people actually end up wearing.

Six top is the classic full look. Eight and beyond is a statement piece rather than something worn casually. If it is your first, order one tooth and find out how you feel about it before spending on a set.

What to send when you ask for a quote

Metal and karat if you know them, coverage, whether you want stones, and any design idea — open face, cut-out letters, engraving. That is enough for a real quote the same day and a mould kit in the post.

If you have a dental problem, deal with that first. It is not a sales objection; it is the difference between jewellery and a trapped issue.