The best first grillz for most people is a 2-piece open face canine set in silver or 10K gold — visible, wearable every day, custom-fit to your teeth, and priced so it's not a heavy commitment. If you're buying your first set, here's how to pick the style, metal, and piece count that fits what you actually want to wear. Straight from a family shop that's been making custom grillz in Central Texas since 1991.
Start with the question no one asks: how often will you wear them?
Everything else follows from this. If the answer is occasionally, for photos or a night out, a 2-piece set is more than enough — you get the look without a set that lives in a case most of the time. If the answer is often, part of my everyday, invest a little more in metal quality (10K or 14K) because it'll show up in daily wear. If the answer is I don't know yet, that's honest, and it points you to a 2-piece as the low-risk starter.
The 5 style choices, ranked for a first set
1. Open face canine (our top pick for first-timers)
Two caps on your canine teeth, with an open frame that lets your natural tooth show through. Visible when you smile or talk. Clean, timeless, works for almost any face and any occasion. This is our best-selling starter set for a reason — you look great in photos and you don't look overdone in person. Our Open Face Canine + Moissanite Tip is the exact set we recommend most often as a first purchase.
2. Solid canine caps
Two solid caps on your canines — no open face, no stone. More gold showing, bolder look, still a comfortable 2-piece commitment. A good pick if you know you want a heavier statement but want to start small.
3. Double cap fangs (canine + incisor)
Two caps but in a different configuration: one canine and one incisor, often with a moissanite tip on the incisor. Distinctive without going up in piece count. See our Double Cap Fang set.
4. 3-piece mixed set
Three caps giving you a mix of styles — solid, open face, moissanite — in one set. A step up in visibility, price, and commitment. Consider it if you're sure grillz are for you and you want more piece for your money. See our 3-Piece Mixed Set.
5. 6+ piece sets (skip for a first set)
Full or near-full front row coverage. Beautiful, but a significant investment for a first purchase. Save it for your second or third set once you know how often you'll wear them and what you want more of.
The metal decision, honestly
Three real options, in order of price and quality:
Silver: the affordable entry point. Real precious metal, safe on skin, holds a bright polish. Won't hold value the way gold does, but it's the right pick if you want a custom-fit set at the lowest price. A 2-piece silver set typically starts around $150.
10K gold: the sweet spot for most first-time buyers. Real gold, 41.7% pure, the most durable karat for daily wear. Warmer color than silver, more visible presence, holds meaningful value. A 2-piece 10K set typically runs $350–$500.
14K gold: the upgrade pick. 58.3% pure gold with a noticeably richer yellow color. More gold content, higher price, and slightly softer than 10K but still plenty durable for grillz. Choose it if the color matters to you or you want higher gold content in the piece. Full 10K vs 14K breakdown in our comparison guide.
Skip: anything labeled "gold-plated" or "gold-filled" that isn't solid. The plating wears off in your mouth over months, the base metal underneath can irritate your gums, and the piece is worth close to nothing the day you buy it. This is the difference between a $40 mall grill and a real custom-fit set.
To stone or not to stone
Moissanite tips add real sparkle at a small cost — think of them as the finishing touch on a starter set. If you like the flash, a single moissanite tip on a 2-piece open face canine set is the classic first purchase. If you prefer clean gold, skip the stones and let the metal do the work. Full breakdown in our moissanite vs diamond guide. Diamond upgrades are available on request but usually make sense on a second or third set, not a first.
What a first-set purchase looks like, end to end
- Pick your set — start with an Open Face Canine + Moissanite Tip, silver or 10K gold
- Order — your impression kit ships the next business day
- Take your mold at home — 5 minutes with the included putty ($29.99 kit price is credited toward the custom order)
- Mail it back — prepaid mailer, same-day if you can
- Handcrafting — 2–3 weeks after we get your impression
- Your set ships — plan on 4–6 weeks total, door to door
Full walkthrough on our How Custom Grillz Work page.
How much should you expect to spend on your first set?
For a well-made 2-piece silver set: around $150–$200. For 2-piece 10K gold: around $350–$500. For 14K or with a moissanite tip added: figure $400–$800 depending on options. Real, custom-fit, made from your own dental impression. See our full pricing guide for the breakdown by piece count.
The one mistake first-timers make
Ordering more piece than you're ready to wear. A 6-piece set on a first-time buyer often ends up in a drawer because it's too much for daily wear and the buyer's not sure when to break it out. A 2-piece open face set gets worn — which is the whole point. Start small; the second and third sets come later, and by then you know exactly what you want.
Questions before you order?
Call our stores — Killeen (254) 539-4653 or Copperas Cove (254) 547-4653 — or text our VIP line (254) 294-7865. Or read more in our FAQ and grillz safety guide. We've been making first sets for Central Texas since 1991, and we'd rather answer a question upfront than fix an order after.