“What were George Washington’s false teeth made of?” is a common trivia question.  Find the answer at the National Museum of Dentistry located in Baltimore, Maryland.  The museum hardly considers the question trivial however, the dentures worn by our first President are the star exhibit at the museum.  They are not carved of wood as many visitors guess, but are made from a much more durable material – hippopotamus ivory.

The National Museum of Dentistry is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and hosts about 10,000 visitors annually.   In addition to the famous false teeth, the museum includes exhibits such as Queen Victoria’s personal dental instruments, toothbrushes throughout the ages and an Arctic whale known as a narwhal.  The narwhal is best known for the six foot tooth growing out of its head.

Children visiting the museum get to put on lab coats and play dentist.  They learn to floss and brush correctly using a giant mouth for practice.  Parents will remember the old toothpaste jingles played at the museum.

The most popular exhibit are those famous dentures which were made by President Washington’s favorite dentist in Philadelphia.  Washington only had one tooth in his mouth by the time he became President in 1789.  According to the museum’s director of communications Washington lost his teeth due to illnesses.  “We think he had many illnesses throughout his life, it was tough living back then” according to Amy Pelinsky.  “And the medicine was tough too… the medicine actually made your teeth fall out”.  So even though we know he brushed, George Washington still lost his teeth.

Today’s dental care is a far cry from colonial times.  If you have lost one tooth or several you have choices about what type of replacement to use.  The best option for most people is a dental implant. Dental implants are placed into the jaw bone and serve as an artificial tooth root – a dental crown is placed over the implant and you have a restoration that looks and feels completely natural.  Implants can also be used to anchor dentures for those patients who have lost most or all of their teeth.  Utilizing a combination of implants, cosmetic crowns and dental veneers you can achieve the smile you have always dreamed of.

Please contact my Gahanna, Ohio office today at 614-476-6696.   Ask one of my team members at  how cosmetic dentistry including dental veneers, crowns and implants can help restore your smile.