About Those Teeth: No, They Weren’t Wooden

One of the interesting facts about George Washington is despite his outstanding strength and robust constitution, Washington spent his whole life dealing with teeth issues. He took laudanum to treat the persistent agony brought on by his tooth issues. Only one of Washington's original teeth was still present when he was elected president in 1789; in 1796, he eventually had that tooth extracted. He therefore wore numerous sets of dentures.

Dentures were uncomfortable to wear, which had an impact on how Washington spoke in public and appeared in photographs. The dental device he wore included human teeth (perhaps, but not definitely, those of slaves), ivory-made teeth, and filed-down teeth from animals (likely cows or horses) (including elephant, walrus and hippopotamus). They were never made of wood, despite the fact that they may have resembled it after being discolored by use. At the time, dentists did not frequently use wood because of its porousness, splinters, and propensity to expand and compress when exposed to moisture.

He was really uncomfortable with the false teeth, which contributed to his lack of smiles. His morning hoe cakes and syrup, which were picked for their softness, had to be chopped into teeny pieces for him to be able to eat them.