You've heard the story about George Washington and his wooden teeth, but what if the real story is stranger, more painful, and made of hippopotamus ivory?

This episode digs into Washington's lifelong dental struggles, from his first tooth extraction at age 24 to the full dentures he wore by inauguration day. Key figures include his dentist John Greenwood, and the real materials behind the dentures, hippo ivory, animal teeth, gold wire springs, and human teeth, all come up, alongside the cognitive and historical reasons the wooden teeth myth took hold and never let go.

What's actually in the history books is weirder than anything a myth could make up.

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