George Washington's Teeth

About this book

A tongue-in-cheek dental history of our first President "Poor George had two teeth in his mouth The day the votes came in. The people had a President But one afraid to grin." From battling toothaches while fighting the British to having rotten teeth removed by his dentists the Father of His Country suffered all his life with tooth problems. Yet contrary to popular belief he never had a set of wooden teeth. Starting at the age of twenty-four George Washington lost on average a tooth a year and by the time he was elected President he had only two left! In this reverentially funny tale written in verse and based on Washingtons letters diaries and other historical records readers will find out what really happened as they follow the trail of lost teeth to complete tooflessness. Illustrated in watercolors with subtle humor by Brock Cole the main story is followed by a four-page time line featuring reproduced period portraits of Washington. George Washingtons Teeth is a 2004 Bank Street - Best Childrens Book of the Year.