Debunked Fact History Medicine
BUSTED Comprehensively false

George Washington Had Wooden False Teeth

Washington's dentures were made of ivory, gold, and human teeth

✗ The myth everyone repeats

George Washington wore false teeth made of wood, which is why he looked so uncomfortable in portraits.

✓ What is actually true

Washington's dentures were made from a variety of materials including ivory (hippopotamus and elephant), gold, lead, and human teeth, but never wood. The idea of wooden teeth is a persistent myth. His uncomfortable expression in paintings likely resulted from the actual dentures being ill-fitting and painful, not from wood.

Believed Since 1900
Year Revised 1995
Why Changed Never True
Confidence Fully Debunked
Region Worldwide

Reception

8/10
7/10
The receipts 2 sources
  1. Smithsonian Magazine: Washington's TeethREFERENCE
  2. National Geographic: Washington DenturesREFERENCE

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