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This might come as a surprise to you, but there are quite a few famous teeth in history. For instance, how familiar are you with the legend of George Washington’s wooden teeth? History might actually paint us a totally different picture.
Right alongside the story of cherry tree, there’s a popular fable concerning a certain president’s chompers. According to popular belief, George Washington was fitted with wooden teeth in his later years. Perhaps Washington was notoriously on edge throughout his portraits because he always had a splinter in his mouth!
In Washington’s era, dental care was a far cry from what it is today but, according to historians, wooden teeth were not in use. Dentists would commonly use materials including ivory, gold and lead to create sets of dentures.
So how did the myth of Washington’s wooden teeth originate? While the initial creation of the story remains difficult to pinpoint, there are some elements of truth surrounding this popular myth. Legend has it that Washington carved his wooden teeth himself – he did in fact make personal repairs to his set of dentures.
Despite Washington having lost his teeth throughout his presidency, he apparently didn’t lose much spring in his step. Historians describe the founding father as a terrific dancer and horseman, one of the most notoriously athletic presidents throughout history. So despite having lost his permanent teeth – his last remaining tooth lasted until his First Inaugural Address in 1789 – Washington remained quite capable!
