George Washington had trouble with his oral health since young adulthood, mostly likely a product of the dental care at the time. He did make dental care a priority, but his diet and lack of modern dentistry took its toll. At the age of 24, Washington had his first tooth extracted. At the age of 57, he received his first set of dentures. He would go on to use a three more denture sets in his lifetime. Contrary to popular belief, George Washington’s dentures were not made of wood. He sported sets made from various materials including ivory, brass, gold, human teeth, and animal teeth.
While he may not look happy in his portrait on the dollar bill, there is an easy way to make Washington smile.
Grab a buck and turn his frown upside down with this dental-themed craft:
- With the dollar facing you, fold it in half the short way through Washington’s left eye.
- Make another fold the short way through the middle of his right eye.
- Make one final fold between the 2 previous folds.
- Keeping the folds intact, pull on the ends slightly so you can see his face.
- Hold the bill slightly tilted upward to see Washington finally sport a smile.
- Smile with George! After all, smiles are contagious.
Have more smile hacks? Share them with us in the comments.
For more dental-themed crafts with oral health in mind, check out: