From the myth about President George Washington’s wooden dentures to the alien conspiracy theory surrounding President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s emergency crown, commanders in chief have quite the history with their teeth. Here are three more fascinating facts about past presidents and their connections to dental health.
Legend has it that during the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant went into battle for six days with no other baggage but a toothbrush. Unfortunately, his later affinity for cigars took a toll on his mouth and his overall health. Our 18th president was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1884 and died the following year.
Abraham Lincoln’s signature style was a stovepipe hat. Teddy Roosevelt’s was a mustache. “As he approached early adulthood, TR made a conscious decision to grow a ‘walrus mustache’ to cover his prominent, but attractive set of teeth,” states an article in the Fall 2007 Journal of the History of Dentistry.
Still, that didn’t stop people from referring to his “squirrel teeth”, as seen in a 1903 newspaper article. The article reads: “When President Roosevelt was in Sharon Springs, Mo., a countryman stepped up and said to a member of the presidential party:’ Whar’s the President?’
Mr. Roosevelt, scenting something good, said: ‘Do you wish to see him particularly?’
‘I never seen but one president in my life, an’, of course, I would like to see him on gen’ral principles,’ replied the countryman. ‘But what I wants to see this one fur mos’ particular is to see if he’s got them squirrel teeth the papers say he has.’
And then and there the president displayed his ‘squirrel’ teeth in the broadest of grins. ‘Gosh, ter blazes, you’re the feller,’ said the man as he hurried away.”
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