George Washington Did Not Have Wooden Teeth
Kentonville.com - Archived Music Lists - Archived Myths - Dr Kenton's Generic Dr Peppers Page
George Washington did not have wooden teeth. His dental problems began in his early twenties, when he was elected at the age of fifty-seven in 1789 he only had one real tooth remaining1. The dentures he wore during the inauguration were made by Dr. John Greenwood2 known has the “Father of Modern Dentistry”, carved from hippopotamus ivory and gold. One of these sets was donated to the University of Maryland Dental School in Baltimore, who in turn donated the upper denture to the Smithsonian in 1976. The dentures were stolen at a storage facility and never recovered; the bottom denture is housed at the George Washington Gallery inside The Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry.3 The “Greenwood Dentures” are the most famous created for the President; four of these remain to this day. Three other sets are all lower dentures located at the New York Academy of Medicine, at the Mt. Vernon Visitors Center and a small segment on display at the Royal London Hospital and Archives and Museum.4 This where is it gets tricky, many different people made or adjusted dentures for Washington. Dr, Greenwood was just the most famous. Here is a direct quote from the fine folks at Mt. Vernon5
Washington had several different sets of dentures, only one of which is still complete — and the complete set is here at Mount Vernon. Our set is made from human & cow teeth and elephant ivory, set in a lead base, with heavy metal springs. Because of the way they would have fit within his mouth, we do not believe that Washington wore this set when eating or talking. They were probably entirely “ornamental,” for occasions like making silent ceremonial appearances or having his portrait painted.
He also owned other, more “functional” dentures, which could have been worn while eating or talking.
During the last ten years of Washington’s life (1789-1799), a highly respected New York dentist, Dr. John Greenwood, made for the president at least two complete denture sets and several partial sets. In addition, in 1796 a man named James Gardette made Washington a set of dentures from hippopotamus ivory.
The story of wooden teeth is interesting but alas according to Steve Swank the curator of the National Museum of Dentistry6 no proof of wooden teeth ever being made in America exists. This is just one of the fanciful myths about the first President of the United States.
Institutions
Random Facts
- Another popular myth is that Paul Revere made a pair of dentures for the first president. This is not true, he did however work as a dentist from 1768 to 1775. 7,8
- George Washington’s Teeth by Deborah Chandra, Madeleine Comora and Brock Cole is a children’s book on the subject.
- George Washington long suffered from health problems, including smallpox, violent pluriseA, malaria, breakbone feverB, and rheumatic complaints.9
Further Information
Footnotes
- A – Plurise
- It means Pneumonia, I could have just put pneumonia but “violent plurise” has an interesting ring to it. This excerpt is from “The Family Life Of George Washington” by Charles Moore published in 1926
- I should have been down long before this, but my business in Frederick [Winchester] detained me somewhat longer than I expected, and immediately on my return from thence I was taken with a violent plurise, which reduced me very low; but purpose, as soon as I recover my strength, to wait on Miss Betsy in hopes of a revocation of her former cruel sentence, and see if I can meet with any alteration in my favor. I have inclosed a letter to her, which I should be much obliged to you for the de-livery of.10
- B – Breakbone Fever
- Dengue Fever, is just like just like “violent plurise” the older term paints a sterner picture. Below is a quote from the CDC, I will summarize basically mosquitoes have this icky in them caused by the devil. The only cure for the skeeters is to give “crazy” to everyone else. They then get together and talk about you mom. This of course is my stupid interpretation, if you feel compelled not to believe me; the Centers for Disease Control may be more reliable.
- Dengue (DF) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) are caused by one of four closely related, but antigenically distinct, virus serotypes (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4), of the genus Flavivirus. Infection with one of these serotypes provides immunity to only that serotype for life, so persons living in a dengue-endemic area can have more than one dengue infection during their lifetime. DF and DHF are primarily diseases of tropical and sub tropical areas, and the four different dengue serotypes are maintained in a cycle that involves humans and the Aedes mosquito. However, Aedes aegypti, a domestic, day-biting mosquito that prefers to feed on humans, is the most common Aedes species. Infections produce a spectrum of clinical illness ranging from a nonspecific viral syndrome to severe and fatal hemorrhagic disease. Important risk factors for DHF include the strain of the infecting virus, as well as the age, and especially the prior dengue infection history of the patient.11
References
- 1 – Matviko, John W. American president in popular culture. Westport, Conn: Greenwood, 2005. Print.
- Page 62
- Description from Google Books: The American presidency has held a unique role within the realm of the nation’s culture. From the character of George Washington in early American mythology, to Richard Nixon’s now famous utterance of “Sock it to me!?” on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In to George W. Bush waving the starting flag at a NASCAR event, the leader of the executive branch has often taken stage in the forum of American popular culture. This edited collection presents chapters that survey the ways popular culture has both reflected and been influenced by presidents throughout history. Chapters focus on Birthplaces and Homes; Drama; Film; Libraries; Memorabilia; Magazines and Tabloids; Myths, Legends, Stories and Jokes; Newspapers; Paintings and Sculptures; Political Cartoons and Comics; Popular Music; Radio; and Television. A timeline traces intersections of the presidency and popular culture, and a subject index provides an additional resource for researchers.
- 2 – “John Greenwood (dentist).” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 3 June 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Greenwood_(dentist)
>.
- 3 – Goodman, Joel. “George Washington’s Wooden Teeth.” Goodteeth.com. Web. 04 June 2009. <http://www.goodteeth.com/gwteeth.htm >.
- 4 – Palmer, Craig. “ADA.org: ADA News: Presidential dentures return to Mount Vernon.” ADA.org: Welcome to the American Dental Association Web site. N.p., 25 Oct. 2006. Web. 03 June 2009.>.
- 5 – “George Washington’s Mount Vernon.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens. Web. 04 June 2009. <http://www.mountvernon.org/knowledge/index.cfm/fuseaction/view/KnowledgeID/258/ >.
- 6 – “Letters: Animal Abuse, Wooden Teeth, Mr. Rogers.” Morning Edition. National Public Radio. 21 Feb. 2008. Radio.
- Letters: Animal Abuse, Wooden Teeth, Mr. Rogers : NPR.org
- Who doesn’t love N.P.R.? This audio clip is from Morning Edition broadcast February 21, 2008. This corrects an earlier story stating that “Has we know George Washington had wooden” who is corrected by Steve Swank the curator of the National Museum of Dentistry
- 7 – “A Brief Biography.” The Paul Revere House. Web. 3 June 2009. <http://www.paulreverehouse.org/bio/bio.shtml >.
- 8 – Axelrod, Alan. The Real History of the American Revolution A New Look at the Past. New York: Sterling, 2007. Print.
- The Real History of the American … – Google Book Search: Books.Google.com
- Reference in on page 85
- Description from Google Books: Ask most Americans why their forefathers started the Revolution, and they’ll likely mention “no taxation without representation” or the belief in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as inalienable rights. But that’s just the start of the story, as historian Alan Axelrod so brilliantly shows in this eye-opening book. Axelrod offers a fascinating examination of what really caused the breach across the Atlantic and how the revolutionary movement began. The American Revolution brought something unique to the world: an entirely new kind of nation, founded on a set of ideas. In engrossing, conversational prose, Axelrod brings the birth of America to life by digging beneath the classically taught history to explore everything from little-known facts to alternate realities, along with the eyewitness testimony, pop culture, and art of the period. From the seeds of dissent through the long fight to glorious victory, the astonishing story of America’s revolution finally comes fully to light.
- 9 – Glover, Barbara. “George Washington – A Dental Victim.” The Riversdale Letter Fall 1998: n. pag. Print.
- 10 – Moore, Charles. The Family Life Of George Washington. N.p.: Houghton Mifflin company, 1936. Print.
- 11 – “Dengue Fever Fact Sheet – CDC Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases (DVBID).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. N.p., 24 Apr. 2008. Web. 03 June 2009. <http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/dengue/ >.
- Shakespearean Misquotes: William Shakespeare’s Oft MisQuoted Lines
- “Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him well”, “Bubble bubble, toil and trouble”, “Friends, Romans, Countrymen, Lend me your ears”, “Lead on, Macduff”, “Methinks the lady doth protest too much”, “To gild the lily” You have heard them, you have said them, they are misquoted. Get the truth.
- Frankenstein Is Not The Name Of The Monster In Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly’s Book: Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus
- Frankenstein is not the name of the monster in Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly’s book: Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus. Frankenstein is the name of the doctor that creates him: Dr. Victor Frankenstein.
- One Mile In Five Of The Eisenhower Interstate System Is Not Set Aside For Airstrips
- One mile in five of the Eisenhower Interstate System is not set aside for airstrips. The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways was created by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. No where in this legislation does it mention the “1 mile straight for every 5 miles” rule that has been passed around on many road trips.
- German Chocolate Cake is not from Germany
- German Chocolate Cake is not from Germany. The recipes name originated from the ingredient “Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate” named for Sam German. The original recipe was published in a Dallas, Texas newspaper in 1957 and titled German’s Chocolate Cake. Republication and the passing of recipes led to eventual dropping of the apostrophe.
- George Washington Did Not Chop Down A Cherry Tree Or Say “I Can’t Tell A Lie, Pa”
- George Washington did not chop down a cherry tree or say “I can’t tell a lie, Pa” This apocryphal story was created by Mason Locke Weems better known as Parson Weems in “A History of the Life and Death, Virtues and Exploits of General George Washington.”
- George Washington Did Not Have Wooden Teeth
- George Washington did not have wooden teeth. However, he did have dentures made of gold and hippopotamus ivory. These were made by Dr. John Greenwood known has the “Father of Modern Dentistry”
- Movie Misquotes – Most Famous and Greatest Mistaken Movie Quotes Of All Time
- “Play it Again Sam”, “Luke, I am your father”, and “Do you feel lucky, punk?”, all great movie lines, but they never happened.
- Shaving Does Not Make Your Beard Grow Thicker or Faster