Why did George Washington never smile?

Have you ever noticed that in all the portraits of the United States’ first President, George Washington, he was never smiling? It was more what you might call a tight-lipped grimace.The story we’ve heard is that he didn’t smile because he had no teeth. Not such an unusual occurrence, we might add, in the late eighteenth century. The story goes that he did infact have dentures – but they were carved out of wood. At the time dentures were also made from ivory and whalebone … and by using the teeth removed from dead soldiers on the battlefield. None of these options though can have been particularly appealing.Now imagine if George Washington was the US President today. Can you imagine any world leader turning up for a summit meeting with anything less than a perfect smile?That’s because over the past two centuries dentistry and the understanding of oral health has progressed immeasurably. To start with, more people attend regular examinations with dental clinics such as Carisbrook Dental. As highly qualified dentists we can help patients maintain their teeth in perfect condition. At the same time improved toothbrushes and toothpastes also help people keep their natural teeth for their whole lifetime. And should there ever be a problem, then at Carisbrook Dental we can help to resolve it promptly and efficiently.For instance Orthodontics Manchester can straighten crooked and misaligned teeth to create a lovely smile. If patients are unlucky enough to have lost teeth or have broken teeth, either through disease or by accident, we can offer a wide choice of restorative options including the latest bespoke dentures, bridges, crowns and dental implants. While for those patients who are concerned about the colour of their teeth, at Carisbrook Dental we can provide the very latest teeth whitening treatments along with other options that include porcelain veneers and white fillings.If George Washington had been at patient today at Carisbrook Dental we can guarantee that whenever he had his portrait painted he would have been only too pleased to show off his gleaming white teeth and his perfect smile.If you find yourself hesitant to smile, why not contact us and make an appointment to discuss how we can improve your teeth, your appearance – and your confidence to face the world with a smile.Maybe we should mention this to Mona Lisa too!