Elmhurst Family Dentistry

09/12/2026

09/08/2026

We hope that everyone was able to rest and enjoy their Labor Day with friends and family.

08/19/2026

Good luck to a new school year! Keep smiling!!! 🦷😁🦷😁

08/07/2026

Just another day..... 🦷🤪🦷🤪

07/31/2026

We figured we'd have Christmas in July on the 31st. 😝😉🦷🦷🦷

07/22/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Emily for winning the World Cup bracket!

06/25/2026

DID YOU KNOW........

George Washington never had wooden teeth.
He suffered from severe dental problems his entire adult life, and by his 1789 presidential inauguration, he had only one remaining natural tooth. To manage this, his primary dentist, Dr. John Greenwood, crafted several advanced sets of dentures using a combination of human teeth, animal teeth, ivory, and metals.

Why the "Wooden Teeth" Myth Started
Staining:
Washington frequently drank Madeira w**e. This dark w**e stained the hairline fractures in the ivory dentures. The resulting dark, grained lines looked like wood grain to observers.

Material aging:
Over time, bone and ivory dentures naturally degrade and discolor into a yellowish-brown hue that resembles wood.

Actual Materials Used in His Dentures
Historical records and surviving artifacts from George Washington's Mount Vernon show that his dentures were high-tech for the 18th century, constructed from:

Teeth: Human teeth, cow teeth, and horse teeth.

Ivory: Carved hippopotamus, elephant, and walrus ivory used for the base plate.

Metals: Lead plates, gold wire, brass screws, and steel springs to help open and close the mouth.

The Sourcing of Human Teeth

The human teeth used in his dentures came from a variety of sources common at the time:
Slaves: Ledger entries from May 1784 show that Washington paid unnamed enslaved people at Mount Vernon for nine teeth. It is highly debated whether these specific teeth were used for his own partial dentures or by his visiting dentist, Jean-Pierre Le Mayeur, for other local patients.
The Poor & Deceased: Dentists of that era frequently purchased teeth from impoverished individuals or harvested them from the deceased.

Lifelong Impact on His Appearance and Health
Constant Pain: The heavy metal springs and ill-fitting ivory caused continuous aching and inflamed gums.
Facial Changes: The bulkiness of the prosthetics noticeably altered the shape of his jawline. This caused the tight-lipped, stern expression seen in his famous portraits, like the one on the one-dollar bill.
Speech Difficulties: The spring-loaded dentures were hard to keep in place, making it painful and difficult for him to smile, eat, or deliver public speeches.

06/11/2026

We are World Cup 2026 ready!!!!!