Did George Washington Really Have Wooden Teeth?

Did you know President’s Day was originally established in 1885 in recognition of our first President, George Washington? Still officially called “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government, President’s Day was traditionally celebrated on February 22, Washington’s actual day of birth.

Today we celebrate President’s Day on the third Monday of February. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other important historical figures, Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present.

George Washington’s Wooden Teeth – The story about George Washington’s infamous wooden dentures arguably remains the most widespread and enduring myth about Washington’s personal life. While Washington certainly suffered from dental problems and wore multiple sets of dentures composed of a variety of materials—including ivory, gold, and lead—wood was never used in Washington’s dentures nor was it commonly employed by dentists in his era.

Nevertheless, even into the mid-twentieth century scholars published studies of Washington describing his false teeth as being crafted out of wood. Many people to this day still remember being taught this tale in school. While the origin of this myth remains unclear.

The standard, and most likely, explanation given by dental scientists and historians is that the ivory employed in the dentures fabricated for Washington by dentist John Greenwood became stained over time, giving them a grained, wooden appearance that misled later observers. Indeed, in a 1798 letter to Washington, Greenwood emphasized the importance of cleaning these dentures regularly after examining ones Washington had used and sent to him for repair.

Though the story of Washington’s wooden teeth has long since been discredited, it does reflect elements of truth. For instance, in one version of the story Washington carved the wooden teeth himself, and it is true that on occasion he made his own repairs to the dentures made by Greenwood. Furthermore, the myth of the wooden teeth remains the only myth associated with a major Founder that calls attention to the individual’s physical frailty and thus serves as a reminder of the genuine struggles Washington experienced as he sacrificed his health in public service.