Wonder if George Washington’s Wooden Teeth were pricey…

 

 

We thought it would be fun to dedicate our 4th of July blog to our 1st President, one of the most beloved Founding Fathers of our Country, George Washington. There are many interesting and famous myths about President Washington. You have the cherry tree & related lesson on telling lies, throwing silver dollars over rivers, and the Wooden Teeth.

We grew up in the 80’s.  Many of us had history lessons on the 1st President of the USA. For whatever reason, my memory of President Washington, is the story of his wooden teeth. To my dismay, as I was researching information on wooden teeth, I found evidence that proves this is a myth not a fact. President Washington did not have wooden teeth dentures. Crazy, I know!

What were President George Washington’s dentures made from you ask?? Materials that included bone, hippopotamus ivory, human teeth, brass screws, lead, & gold metal wire. Because his dentures were so stained, they gave the appearance of wood.

There is evidence that the President had problems with hygiene starting at the age of 24 according to his diary entries. They have found letters stating he had inflamed gums, aching teeth, lost teeth and ill fitting dentures (all signs point to bad periodontal disease!). They also say he had a dentist from France send him teeth cleaning instruments. Poor guy! Too bad Rhoades Family Dentistry in Olathe wasn’t around back then. We would have Loved to have helped out the President.

There are also many outside references that indicate President Washington was very self conscious of his mouth. He was very private about the poor hygiene and upkeep of his mouth. Pictures of the President show that he never smiled. He also had hard times speaking with the dentures from the bad fit and pain that came from them.

Thankfully, Dr. Hahn is right near you in Olathe,  and offers the newest technology available for making dentures. They will not cause any discomfort, pain and will be the perfect fit. I can promise you, we will not use hippo ivory and they will not look like wood!

Have a Happy & Safe 4th of July!

Your Firecrackin Girls at the best dentist in Olathe, Kansas