One of the longest-running myths in American history is that George Washington had wooden teeth. It’s a fun image—revolutionary dentures, colonial oak—but completely false.

In reality, Washington’s dentures were made of a far stranger mix: human teeth, cow and horse teeth, ivory from hippopotamuses, and even bits of metal. It’s basically Frankenstein's mouth.

He suffered from dental issues for most of his life and had only one natural tooth left by the time he was sworn in as president. His discomfort is documented in letters, and even his portraits reflect his awkward jawline, padded out by uncomfortable prosthetics.

So while he never chopped down a cherry tree or smiled with splinters, Washington’s smile was definitely one for the history books—just not a wooden one.