An Early Example of Cosmetic Dentistry: George Washington
Sometimes, genetics are completely responsible for ruined teeth. Coincidentally, this is what ailed the first President of the United States. George Washington was known for his valor, his honor, his overall military prowess, and his horrible teeth. Of course, 18th-century dentistry didn’t encourage teeth brushing or anything in the way of maintenance. So, when the noble, long-legged President was elected, he had only one tooth in his head. Supposedly, this should be a sign that Americans from the past weren’t shallow, however, we can’t get the image of a man in tights, with one tooth, giving an inaugural address out of our heads.
Presumably, Washington didn’t step up to the podium in such a state, instead, he was wearing a pair of dentures. In fact, his dentures have a certain fascination surrounding them, as there were many variations and no one can seem to agree if they were wooden, ivory, or made of other human teeth.
George’s Dental Myths
The myth that his teeth were made of wood is quite the fabrication. Why would they use wood when other, better materials were available. Wood doesn’t hold up very well to water, and mouths are notoriously moist places. That being said, it’s easy to determine how previous forensic scientists and historians came to this conclusion. Washington was known for his love of Madeira wine which was a very dark red, and consequently, stained the hairline fractures that ivory and even human teeth experience after being pulled and placed under pressure. These stains produced a similar grain to that of wood and were, therefore, interpreted as wood. Hence, his wooden dentures myth.
George’s Dental Reality
While some attribute his dentures to being made out of mostly ivory there is some evidence that human teeth were used more often, and that they were pulled from the skulls of Washington’s slaves. This notion can be rather stunning, as this man is credited with being one of the best United States Presidents in history, as well as being one of the most influential patriots and writers of our country’s core documents. It is a hard fact to swallow, as this is different than damning Andrew Jackson, who was clearly despicable, or characters like Madison or Jefferson, who’ve already had evidence of slavery brought up against them.
But, these claims are mostly conjecture. There is some evidence to point to this as a possibility, as there is a note in his ledger that he purchased nine, human “negro” teeth from his dentist. However, while the teeth found in his current salvaged dentures in Mount Vernon have some human teeth, they’re also made out of cow teeth and ivory, as previously stated. These teeth that he purchased could very well have not been used in his dentures. There are no documents confirming that they were used, or that any of the pieces include them. Many people bought teeth in that era for various macabre reasons, and while the wealthy often used them for dentures, it doesn’t condemn everyone’s favorite president in one swoop.
George Washington Innocence
It should be noted that he may not have known how the teeth were sourced, and they may not have been pulled from his own slaves. The documents suggest that his dentist, which would be the equivalent to a cosmetic dentist today, is the person who sought out the teeth in the newspaper, and mentioned that slave teeth were acceptable. Credit given where credit is due, he is listed as a great man due to his leadership skills, but also for his precedent setting two terms. He insisted on stepping down after two terms to prevent the infant country from becoming a monarchy once more. He also made the choice to free all of his slaves at the end of his life, much to his family’s displeasure.
A Victim of 18th Century Dentistry
His famous set of dentures that are on display, used gold wiring and the aforementioned materials, inducing a lead base to create Washington’s teeth. It was a technological advancement at the time that encouraged the usage of gold. Because of its antiseptic properties, its primitive usage in the early days of dentistry is to be expected. Due to how easily dentures stained, George was forced to clean them with pine or cedar sticks, or even chalk as were others who suffered at the hands of tooth rot. You can go and see George Washington’s last tooth that was gifted to his dentist in an ornate box within the New York Academy of Medicine, alongside the dentures that were made to accommodate that last tooth that he stepped up to the podium with.
We’d wager that the moral of this story would be something like: take care of your dental hygiene. With that grand lesson in mind, be sure to call your Missoula dentist about any aches that you have. It probably means your teeth are falling out.
Don’t Be Like George
Not actually, but it’s a good idea to ensure you’re limiting the pain you have to experience by taking advantage of modern dentistry innovations. Here in the 21st century, if you don’t like the way your teeth look you can start thinking about braces or veneers. If you’re having trouble with tooth retention, you can access dentures like George Washington, but probably made out of ceramic instead of ivory or donated human teeth. However, if you brush and floss, and visit your dentist regularly, you won’t have to worry about cosmetic dentistry or emergency dental at all.
Looking for a dentist in Missoula? Bitterroot Dental offers family dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and we even offer emergency dental services. Call to schedule an appointment today.
