8. George Washington’s dentures were not made from wood, as often taught in American schools, but rather from the teeth of enslaved Africans.
As every child in America should be able to tell you, George Washington, as was common in colonial times, had false teeth. However, in contrast to the perpetuated belief that these teeth were made of wood, a falsehood for any person of Washington’s social stature, strong evidence suggests his dentures were actually crafted, in addition to other valuable articles including gold and ivory, from teeth acquired from African slaves. The Mount Vernon Ledgers provide the foundational evidence for this contention, with “Ledger Book B” recording a brief notation dated May 1784 intimating such an action.
Dr. Jean Le Mayuer, George Washington’s dentist, was known to place newspaper advertisements for “persons who are willing to dispose of their Front Teeth”. The standard rate was two guineas for each good tooth, but Washington’s records denote the price paid as being less than seven guineas for nine. In fact, the ledger specifically states “Cash pd Negroes for 9 Teeth”. Combining this historical documentation with a surviving pair of Washington’s dentures, which do indeed include human teeth, the evidence strongly appears to suggest that Washington acquired his famously false teeth from enslaved Africans who were paid significantly below market rate and possibly had little choice.