Miami's grillz pioneer and his son keep smiles shining across generations

Miami Herald

3 days ago

Entering into Lando Golds feels like walking into an eccentric dentist's office.
Dental molds, metallic wiring, scraps of paper with little drawings and designs are everywhere in the small storefront in Liberty City, which for 40 years has been a cultural staple for anyone looking for a set of grillz.
The owner, Orlando Plein, is the brother of the iconic creator and originator of removable pull-out grillz, Eddie Plein. Eddie, who is featured in the book 'Mouth Full of Golds,' started his business in New York and later opened Famous Eddie's Gold Teeth in Atlanta.
Grillz are decorative dental jewelry, either removable or permanent. They're made by molding the teeth, then shaping metals like gold or silver to fit. Eddie pioneered the 'pull-out' or removable style of grillz that fit over the teeth while he was living in New York in the '70s and '80s. He became the go-to guy for grillz for famous rappers like Flavor Flav and Just-Ice. Eddie eventually went on to teach his brother, who later passed the skills on to his own son.
While Eddie moved his business from New York to Atlanta, Orlando took what he learned from his brother to Miami to show the South his artistry and skill in niche grillz. Now working alongside his son, Phillip, Orlando's shop Lando Golds stands not only as a Miami landmark since 1986, but a cultural landmark for the South.
'In Florida, getting grillz is your initiation into cultural heritage. It's something that we really value in our communities in the South. It represents where I'm from, what I'm about, the people who poured into my story,' Phillip said.
When Orlando came to the South, pull-out grills weren't common, especially in South Florida. At that time, gold and silver crowns, which are molded tooth caps to go on top of existing teeth, were dominant within Florida culture.
'When I first came here, it took about a year to transition. It was like, you know, a battle to get people accustomed to pull-outs because they were used to the [permanents]. It was real in their eyes,' Orlando said.
John Lundy, owner of Wall2Wall Grillz in Fort Lauderdale, says dental jewelry like grillz and permanents evolved because of lack of access to affordable dental care.
'In the earlier years as far as here in Florida many used to wear gold teeth because they couldn't afford the high cost of dental care therefore they'd settle for a cap or two. But as time went on, we respected the worth, and it turned into a status symbol,' he told the Miami Herald.
As Orlando's business, first known as New York Connection and later Lando Golds, grew locally in the late '80s and 1990s, grillz began to grow in popularity rapidly, serving as a cultural marker of wealth and expression within the hip-hop community. Orlando's pioneering work led to larger notoriety. Local rappers like Kodak Black and Mike Smiff are customers, but clients fly in from Japan, Australia and Germany to get Orlando and his son's work. At his shop, Orlando works with a dentist to prepare clients who want permanent gold or silver teeth put in. But his specialty, like his brother, is pull-out grillz.
Mari Montana, a local rapper from West Palm Beach, shares why he got his grills done with Lando Golds.
'The quality of his work, exactly what I was looking for. I felt his style fit me the best, it just screams Florida,' he said.
But Orlando says that the work isn't just about providing customers with a bejeweled smile. His work can help people feel more confident, celebrate an important milestone, or serve as a client's connection to their Southern roots.
'Sometimes it's not about the grillz, the community just knows I do good by people,' Orlando said.
'Everybody here is like a family, it's that kind of environment with each and every one of our clients,' said Phillip. 'It's really helping people.'
Phillip has been working in the business for the past five years and feels the pride in continuing the family tradition.
'I feel a bigger purpose with me keeping it going, letting the hard work not be in vain, and just being able to create a life for myself based on the life he created for himself,' Phillip said.
Phillip's been able to work with a number of clients, and created 14 custom grills for a local art exhibit by Femme Continuum entitled 'Born, Bred, and Shreddin the Souf' in early January of this year. The art exhibit, which was a love letter to the historic Flea Market USA in Liberty City, showcased Phillip's work in a booth made to emulate those found in the local market.
'It's like wow, people from all walks of life, all kinds of disciplines are doing something that my family created, I'm a part of the same culture I'm consuming.' Phillip said.
Grillz have become more celebrated in mainstream culture, but they still often are looked at in a negative light – be it due to respectability politics, deep-rooted stereotypes or a lack of respect for the artistry involved in their creation.
However, Orlando and Phillip believe in their craft.
'Self expression should not have rules. You wear your tattoos on your body, I wear mine on my teeth. It's just a form of expression,' Phillip said.
Orlando added, 'It used to be a heavy stereotype until you started seeing other cultures or celebrities like Beyoncé wear grills, and now it's huge.'