Did everyone enjoy the Fourth of July a couple weeks back? We hope you did! With fireworks and cookouts, how could you not have had fun? While celebrating the holiday, it got us thinking about our past presidents and their oral health.
The most well-known story of our presidents and their oral health is George Washington’s wooden teeth. But, did George Washington actually have teeth that were made of wood? Chances are, this urban legend is actually a myth…kind of. In that day and age, it is plausible that the base for George Washington’s dentures, his artificial gums, were made of wood. However, the actual denture and false teeth would have been other people’s teeth! More likely than not, Washington’s false teeth were probably taken from soldiers who had died in the line of battle.
While Washington’s wooden teeth are well-known, there are many other stories of past presidents having trouble with their oral health. Did you know that Honest Abe had a terrible fear of the dentist? Due to his fear, which was probably irrational, President Lincoln tried to extract his own tooth. As you can guess, due to his inadequate training in tooth removal, Lincoln actually removed part of his jaw bone in addition to his tooth. It probably would’ve been easier to just go to the dentist, don’t you think?
Some other presidents who were known for their atrocious oral health were John Adams and Woodrow Wilson. Did you know that President Adams lost many of his teeth, and it resulted in him speaking with a noticeable lisp? Also, for President Wilson, all you need to do is go check out pictures from his inauguration…yikes!
Do you want your oral health to be in better shape than some of our past presidents?
If you want to make improvements to your oral health, Dr. Sachs welcomes you to schedule an appointment at her office in Rockford, IL. Dr. Sachs loves welcoming new patients who are serious about getting their oral health in the best possible condition.