He’s been called dignified, restrained and self-mastered. “National Geographic” summed him up as the “calm, cool and collected Commander-in-chief.” No doubt America’s first president was all that and more, but what some don’t know about George Washington and his well-documented stoicism is that he had lifelong discomfort and insecurity from bad teeth. It was one of the reasons he rarely showed emotion, contributing to that impassive persona.
Washington’s dental troubles began in his early 20s and lasted until his death in 1799 at age 67. His decaying teeth were a source of great embarrassment and “regular suffering throughout his entire life,” according to the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. In 1781, he had partial dentures made, and by the time he was sworn in as president at the age of 57, his tooth decay was so advanced he was down to just one tooth which had to bear the full burden of his dentures.
In spite of his constant affliction, Washington tried to keep his mouth pain private. In the biography “Washington: A Life,” historian Ron Chernow notes that Washington did everything he could to keep his dental problems from contemporaries. “An air of extreme secrecy shrouded his dealings with dentists, as if he were dabbling in a dark, shameful art. Perhaps he sensed that nothing could subvert his heroic image more unalterably than derisory sniggers about his teeth.” He went so far as to purchase rudimentary dental equipment to manage his dental pain himself. Chernow says that “Washington had a small arsenal of devises to keep his aching mouth in working order.”
Far from only being a source of discomfort and embarrassment, however, Washington’s teeth also significantly affected how he socialized with others. His dental troubles provide one explanation for his emotionless countenance and, as the “History” channel put it, “one of the reasons he rarely smiled.” And though — per Chernow — Washington’s “potent emotions” would occasionally “break through his well-composed facade and dignified reserve,” he often elected to leave words unspoken unless absolutely necessary. His friend and aide-de-camp, George Mercer, once noted that Washington’s mouth was “generally firmly closed, but which from time to time discloses some defective teeth.” And one perceptive slave noted of his master at Mount Vernon: “I never see that man laugh to show his teeth — he done all his laughing inside.”
That’s unsurprising considering Washington’s teeth were more than a little unsightly. In addition to being constructed of human, cow and horse teeth (and probably bits of elephant and hippopotamus ivory as well), they were also incredibly stained, contributing to the popular myth that his chompers were made of wood. When he once returned a pair of dentures for repair, for instance, his dentist recorded that they had turned “very black” from drinking port wine.
Chernow notes that “for someone who took inordinate pride in his appearance, the highly visible dentures must have been mortifying, especially since public speaking and socializing were constant, obligatory duties for a president.” Indeed, in “George Washington — A Dental Victim,” historian Barbara Glover cites “dental discomfort” as the likely reason Washington’s second inaugural address is the shortest inaugural speech in U.S. history — a mere 135 words.
Of course, Washington’s greatest defect was far more serious than his having an unattractive smile. His conflicting behaviors of being one of America’s great liberators while also keeping hundreds of slaves in captivity is impossible to reconcile.
And while it’s necessary to deplore Washington the slaveholder, it may be misguided to disfavor Washington the Founding Father who declared independence from Great Britain in the first place, or Washington the general who sacrificed all personal comforts and dignities as he evaded the Redcoats across the rugged countryside for eight miserable years during the Revolutionary War, or Washington the president who set many of the precedents that still benefit American life today.
No doubt Washington is yet another complicated historical figure — riddled with flaws and inconsistencies — but to accomplish all that he did while dealing with such a debilitating and degrading personal affliction speaks to his fortitude and resilience, if not his character.
Daryl Austin is a Utah-based writer from Orem. His work has appeared in The Guardian, HuffPost, Newsweek, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.
"lasting" - Google News
September 06, 2020 at 04:30AM
https://ift.tt/35b4nSg
George Washington’s dental troubles were dire and life-lasting - Deseret News
"lasting" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2tpNDpA
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "George Washington’s dental troubles were dire and life-lasting - Deseret News"
Post a Comment