Thoughts about Washington's Teeth

Last year, when we could travel (anyone else missing traveling?!), I headed to Washington DC to see 1 specific thing- Washington’s “wooden” teeth. Of course, we travelled all over the city and area to site see, but definitely checking out this set of dentures at Mount Vernon was at the top of the must see list.

Some fun facts about these teeth:

1.     They weren’t made out of wood. Though they were stained over the years which makes them have a wood grain look, they’re actually made out of ivory, teeth (human and horse), brass, copper and lead.

2.     Washington was aware how having ill fitting dentures changed the shape of his face. He noticed how his mouth seemed wider, bigger, and didn’t look like him.

3.     He hired dentists from all over to work on his teeth. The farthest was a dentist from France in the US working on soldier’s teeth.

As I was looking at them and the exhibit surrounding these dentures, I kept thinking how important teeth and a smile are to a person. Washington spent so much time, money, and thought on his teeth, constantly having them fixed and adjusted. He had the best professionals look into his oral health, and try to have the best second option in the country as his second set of teeth. This powerful leader was concerned about a “small” part of the human body.

And look at us! We are lucky enough to work with these precious patients and this important part of the human body and care for overall health every day. Just like Washington put so much care and though into his mouth, we get to work with people who also care, and get to be part of that care.

Next time I jump into a saddle stool, I’ll definitely be thinking about the importance of the patient, their teeth, and how their happiness can be tied to this short 1 hour appointment.