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Washington wore many partial and full dentures over the course of his life, but contrary to popular belief, none were made out of wood. Instead, they were made from ivory, lead-tin alloy, copper alloy, silver alloy, real human teeth, and probably cow and horse teeth, too.

Dentures made of wood weren't common in his time, and although his false teeth were very uncomfortable, they were also fairly advanced for the late 18th century. The wooden teeth myth probably stems from the fact that as the ivory dentures were used and stained, they developed a grainy look, possibly being mistaken for wood.

Unfortunately, the real human teeth he used were likely purchased from slaves, and they didn’t really have the option to refuse the purchase.

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Joe Johnston

Lvl 10
5y ago

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