George Washington wore false teeth made of wood, which is why he looked so uncomfortable in portraits.
Washington's dentures were made from a variety of materials including ivory (hippopotamus and elephant), gold, lead, and human teeth, but never wood. The idea of wooden teeth is a persistent myth. His uncomfortable expression in paintings likely resulted from the actual dentures being ill-fitting and painful, not from wood.
Reception
Sources
- Smithsonian Magazine: Washington's Teeth REFERENCE
- National Geographic: Washington Dentures REFERENCE