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Feb. 20--It's the truth: George Washington's false teeth were not made of wood.
The first president's dentures were carved from hippopotamus and elephant ivory and held together with gold springs. Ouch. No wonder the general isn't smiling in his official portrait.
Yesterday, dozens of visitors came to see the infamous choppers at the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore, which was holding its annual George Washington's birthday celebration. And yes, said curator Scott Swank, those teeth were every bit as uncomfortable as they look.
Even as he tromped across the country leading the Revolution, Washington was besieged by toothaches and inflamed gums. The general wrote letters to his favorite dentist, John Greenwood, asking him to send tools to clean and adjust his teeth. Sometimes, the two men sent sets of teeth back and forth through the mail because Washington was so busy fighting the war that he had little time to visit his New York-based dentist.
"He did have a lot of dental problems," Swank said. "There are references to him being in a foul mood because of his teeth."
But the teeth - and the lore surrounding them - are a part of the founding father's legend, and they draw hundreds of visitors to the museum near the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Every year, the museum celebrates his birthday the Sunday before Presidents Day with Washington-themed activities.
This year, museum staff dispensed with the usual cherry pie and cherry soda and went instead with a yellow birthday cake covered with a Mount Rushmore-like image of the president next to a collection of buttercream icing flowers. Face-painting artists drew teeth on patron's hands, children made yardstick-sized toothbrushes out of Styrofoam and pipe cleaners, and an "Olde-fashioned Play Station" offered wooden toys with balls and strings.
Michael O'Connell, 59, played the 274-year-old George. Dwane Starlin donned gold-colored breeches and a double-breasted blue jacket to be dentist John Greenwood. And Carol Randolph slipped into many petticoats as Martha Washington.
In past years, the re-enactors did plays. But this year, the trio mingled with the crowd, hamming it up with the children. All three actors said they were glad they boned up on their Washington history before taking the gig - if they hadn't, they said, the kids would have known more about Washington than they did.
Take Michael Tritsch. The 7-year-old from Ellicott City showed up at the event in black sweat pants fashioned into breeches, a sash, a tricorn hat and a button-down shirt with a Peter Pan collar. Asked what he knew about Washington, the second-grader took a deep breath and began: "He was the first president of the United States. His vice president was John Adams. He was a general in the Revolutionary War. He was at Yorktown, Virginia. And he was an aide in the French and Indian War."
And his teeth?
"They all rotted away," said Michael, who has never had a cavity. "I believe he only had one tooth in his mouth when he was president."
Correct.
Next came Johnson Moore, 8, a third-grader from Laurel who got his photo taken with the dressed-up O'Connell holding a patriotic-looking red, white and blue pipe-cleaner toothbrush. Johnson, like Michael, seemed to know a lot about Washington.
"He was our first president. He was in a war. His teeth fell out," Johnson said. "His teeth were not made of wood. They were made of ivory and metal."
On the way to view the famous first teeth, visitors encountered some lesser-known facts. It was dentists who invented cotton candy and bubble gum - much to the consternation of modern hygienists everywhere.
If the old general were living today, he might be tempted by all kinds of treats that would further erode his teeth. He also would have access to a much better set of dentures, and he wouldn't have to send away for cleaning supplies and adjustments through the mail.
And he might have had a better time visiting the dentist.
"Washington always wanted extra springs, extra pieces of gold," said Swank, a retired dentist. "I imagine he was not a very fun dental patient."
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