There’s a really good chance you got lied to about George Washington’s teeth.

He definitely had dentures, but they absolutely weren’t made of wood.

Myths like this one are common. Sometimes they’re funny (this one kind of is at first) but they often obscure a much uglier truth, such as how George Washington, like other wealthy whites at the time, purchased the extracted teeth of African Americans.

Myths can be simple misinformation or intentionally-designed disinformation. Either way, they cause our society to start some of its most important conversations from an unproductive place not rooted in reality.

Like when we talk about what it takes to improve our country’s health and out trots the myth that personal responsibility is all we need. As if life expectancy is declining for the third year in a row (unseen in our country since an early 1900s flu pandemic) from an outbreak of a lack of personal responsibility.

It’s the myth that puts us off on the wrong foot. We’re called ‘Wooden Teeth’ to remind you all to jettison the myth – and listen for more on how we fix the problems the myths have brought to our democracy.