Yes, two museums continue to showcase George Washington’s dentures to the public.
Mount Vernon, the president’s former residence turned historical landmark, showcases George Washington’s only surviving complete set of his original dentures at The Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center in Fairfax County, Virginia.
An original lower jaw denture set from 1795 (made of hippopotamus ivory) along with replicas of other sets sits on display at the National Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore, Maryland.
Washington’s dental struggles began in his twenties, prompting him to invest in dental care products. Despite his efforts, he faced tooth extractions and other serious dental problems, particularly during the French and Indian War.
An aide noted in 1760 that Washington often revealed defective teeth. As he aged, Washington turned to dentures, which were not wooden but made from a mix of materials including gold, brass, lead, and even ivory from hippopotamuses, along with human and animal teeth.
Despite all of his attempts to save his remaining teeth, in 1789 Washington ended up with just one tooth at the time of his inauguration as the first President of the United States.
Did George Washington Really Have Wooden Teeth?
Many people often associate George Washington, the first President of the United States, with the myth of wooden teeth. While he suffered from significant dental issues throughout his life, the notion that his dentures were made of wood is false.
The legend of Washington’s wooden teeth may stem from a couple of theories. One suggests that someone misinterpreted the surname of his dentist, John Greenwood, as “Greenwood’s teeth” and confused it with “wooden teeth.”
Another plausible explanation is that Washington’s fondness for port wine stained his dentures, giving them a dark appearance that could resemble wood.
By the time he was inaugurated in 1789, only one of his original teeth remained. Dr. John Greenwood pulled this final survivor in 1796, and Washington allowed his dentist to keep this famous tooth as a memento.
Greenwood eventually inserted the tooth into a small glass display that he hung from his watch chain.
In 1798, Greenwood remarked to Washington that his dentures had become “very black,” likely due to the staining effects of wine. Thus, the idea of wooden teeth likely took root from a combination of misinterpretations and the practical challenges of 18th-century dental care.
