Missed Opportunity - Subsitooths or Dentures?


Indeed a missed opportunity! Blame it on the unimaginative Romans, and later the English, who followed the rule book for coining words. So they took dent or dens for for teeth and urus for a set. So we had dent-ures,  for a set of teeth. How simplistic and unoriginal! 

But these staid and plain dentures have had a say in US history...right from George Washington to Donald Trump. 

Washington experienced dental problems throughout his adult life. His dental dilemma caused by  aching teeth, lost teeth, inflamed gums, ill-fitting dentures, and a host of other dental miseries caused him great discomfort. His jaw line was faulted, as seen in the picture, because of ill-fitted dentures or a loose denture plate. His full dentures were a mix of human teeth (from slaves), animal teeth, carved ivory (elephant and hippopotamus). He was sensitive of his dental issues and it was a closely guarded secret. He rarely smiled because of this and one can imagine, what this constant misery would have caused on his general disposition.

And if you are wondering about Trump's speech issues and slur, blame it on his dentures too. He sounds like he has a lisp every time he says the letter 'S'. Have you heard, 'God blesshh the United Shhtates'? Again a case of ill-fitting dentures?



Comments

Popular Posts

Weekend Musings: What One Life Taught Me About Peace

Weekend Musings: The Leap of the Frog — A Moment in Haiku

Election Day Musing: My Keemti Vote