As Presidents’ Day approaches, we thought it would be interesting to review a little Presidential dental history. As it turns out, all of us have dental issues – even our Presidents! Here are a few little-known facts about our past commanders-in-chief and the dental challenges they faced.
The myth about George Washington and wooden teeth: While it’s true that the Father of Our Country did wear dentures, they weren’t made of wood. In fact, President Washington had several different sets of dentures, each made of a different material. Those included artificial teeth made from bone, ivory, lead, and even other people’s teeth, to name just a few. Our first President suffered from dental problems throughout his life, which made him somewhat reluctant to speak in public or even to crack a smile.
John Quincy Adams and the mercury problem: As a young man, our 6th President suffered from smallpox. To treat the disease, Adams was given – believe it or not — mercury! Although this may sound strange, mercury was actually commonly used to treat smallpox in that day and age. As a result, President Adams suffered from terrible oral health for the remainder of his life.
The reason why President Roosevelt had such straight teeth: If you think braces are a new idea, think again! In fact, FDR wore braces when he was a child in the late 19th century. As a result, he had beautifully straight teeth for the rest of his life.
Honest Abe’s connection to dental sedation: President Lincoln is considered by many people to be our greatest President, and was largely responsible for ending slavery and rejoining our nation after the Civil War. But we might be able to give him credit for something else as well – dental anesthetic! While President Lincoln wasn’t the first patient to undergo some form of dental sedation, he was reportedly the first President to do so. History tells us that Lincoln was traumatized by having a tooth pulled as a young boy. Apparently, the procedure went terribly wrong and the young Lincoln ended up losing part of his jawbone as a result, so it’s no wonder he lived the rest of his life with a fear of having dental work done.
Fortunately, dental technology has made huge strides in the last several decades, so many of the issues faced by some of our earlier Presidents can be avoided altogether today. Just be sure that you practice good oral hygiene at home and visit your dentist twice a year for professional cleanings and oral exams.
