It’s widely known George Washington was plagued with dental problems and wore dentures. One of the biggest misconceptions about his teeth is they were made of wood. According to George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the myth likely began when his dentures containing ivory became stained, “giving them a grained, wooden appearance that misled later observers.”
George Washington’s dentures, photo courtesy George Washington’s Mount Vernon
One set of his dentures was made of elephant, human, and dairy cattle teeth. Yes, human. Some of them may have been his own that had been extracted over the years, which he kept safe at his Virginia home. He also purchased teeth from African Americans, but it is unknown if he used them in dentures or at all.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon stresses that buying human teeth was quite common among some of the wealthier members of society in the 18th century.
We asked our own George Washington, Ron Carnegie, about the questions he’s been asked surrounding Washington’s teeth. He said he is often asked about those wooden chompers. Maybe next time you see him, you can tell him you know Washington’s wooden teeth were just a myth, and explain how it came to be.
I don’t think that I have ever seen Washington’s dentures in a photo before. Typically, have just heard that he had wooden teeth. It is really cool to see them and compare them to what dentures look like today. From the looks of it, dentures sure have come a long way since the late 1700’s.
http://www.naturaldentureclinic.com.au/about-us.aspx
Thank you for this post, I am curious to know how the dentures were held in place. They must certainly have been very uncomfortable.
Hi, John! The spring may have had something to do with helping them move and stay in place.
george had one tooth left that acted as a anchor for the base of his false teeth, a tight fit also help, but must of been real painful no fixadent here!
I’ve always been far more intrigued by what sort of material these teeth were set in.
Calvin, the curator in the video by Mount Vernon - http://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-man-the-myth/the-trouble-with-teeth/ - says it’s lead-based.
lead, pewter and horn
Thank you. I appreciate knowing that bit of trivia. I can only imagine how terrible that (the lead) must’ve tasted to the General.