02/17/2025
3 DENTAL FACTS about some of our PRESIDENTS Teeth!
George Washington’s Wooden Teeth
The very first president of the United States was George Washington. Along with being a fantastic military leader and one of the best presidents in U.S history, President Washington has also been the inspiration for many myths and legends. A commonly told myth about George Washington is that he had wooden teeth.
However, this particular legend is false. George Washington did wear false teeth, but this was not uncommon for the time period. Rather than being made of wood, George Washington had dentures that were made of ivory, gold, and lead. At his inauguration in 1789 he had only one working tooth left.
Abraham Lincoln had Dental Anxiety
During the time of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency in 1861, there wasn’t much dental care available. Lincoln was known to have severe dental anxiety caused from before his time in office. In 1841, while undergoing a tooth extraction without anesthesia, the dentist accidentally broke a piece of his jaw bone. For future visits, Abraham Lincoln sedated himself with chloroform to stay relaxed.
Lyndon B. Johnson’s Favorite Gift
Lyndon B. Johnson was President of the United States from 1961-1963. He was known to give people who visited the Oval Office an electric toothbrush stamped with the Presidential seal. The set came complete with 6 colorful interchangeable heads and a charging base. Given the fact electric toothbrushes entered the USA market in 1960, the gift was pretty novel. When asked why he gave toothbrushes, President Johnson said that “I want people to think of me right away when they wake up and right before they go to bed.”
