Washington probably visited the dentist more than the average American – diary entries beginning in his early twenties reference toothaches, cavities, inflamed gums, decay, tooth loss, and of course toothbrushes and paste.
In 1756, at age 24, he recorded in his diary that he had one of his teeth removed. By the time of his Presidential inauguration in 1789, he only had one working tooth left in his mouth. Washington had multiple sets of dentures that were made with a combination of animal and human teeth. The piece of tooth in the museum’s collection is made of ivory that was filed down into the shape of a tooth.
The top row of teeth in these dentures are either from cows or horses, while the bottom row is human teeth, some of which were Washington’s that had been removed over the years. At the point where the dentures come together there is tight silver spring that forces the upper denture open. Because it’s such a strong spring, in order to keep your mouth closed you always have to grit your teeth down. If you look closely at portraits of Washington, you will see a very strong jawline probably because of the force it takes to constantly keep the dentures in his mouth.
So, folks, don’t forget to brush and floss regularly!
