“George Washington had wooden teeth.”

It's a widely circulated tale that America's first president, George Washington, sported a set of wooden teeth. While it's true that Washington endured significant dental woes throughout his life, eventually losing most of his teeth, and did indeed rely on dentures, the material of his famed prosthetics was far from timber. This enduring image of a president with wooden teeth is a common misconception that has been passed down through generations.

Historical records and surviving dental artifacts reveal the intricate and often uncomfortable reality of Washington's dentures. His various sets were crafted from a startling array of materials, reflecting the dental technology of the 18th century. These included animal ivory, likely sourced from hippopotamus or elephant, as well as actual human teeth, some of which were purchased from enslaved individuals. These diverse components were meticulously held together with lead, gold springs, and metal fasteners, creating dentures that were certainly functional, if not entirely comfortable.

The persistent myth of wooden teeth likely stems from the appearance of these actual materials over time. Ivory, especially when exposed to substances like wine and tobacco, would have naturally stained and discolored, taking on a dark, grainy, and wood-like texture. This visual transformation, combined with the general lack of understanding about 18th-century dentistry, probably fueled the popular belief that Washington's dentures were carved from wood, rather than being the complex and often unsettling constructions they truly were. This historical detail offers a fascinating glimpse into both presidential health and early dental practices.