Biden gets a root canal without general anesthesia

President Joe Biden underwent a root canal procedure on Sunday and Monday, White House officials said. 

On Sunday, he said he was experiencing dental pain in a lower right premolar, Mr. Biden's personal physician, Kevin O'Connor, said in a memo on Monday. After an exam in the White House Dental Operatory, the presidential dental team determined Mr. Biden needed a root canal. 

The initial procedure was performed Sunday. The president experienced further discomfort on Monday morning before the procedure was finished. 

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Mr. Biden was not placed under general anesthesia for the procedure, which meant there was no need to invoke the 25th Amendment and have Vice President Kamala Harris serve as acting president.

In 2021, Mr. Biden was put under general anesthesia during a colonoscopy. It required him to transfer the acting powers of the presidency to Harris for 85 minutes, making her the first woman to hold presidential power in the U.S.

Mr. Biden was given only local anesthesia during the root canal, Jean-Pierre said. He was back at work on Monday after the procedure. 

"There is nothing unusual about this. Millions of Americans go through this process," Jean-Pierre said. 

Root canal procedures are performed more than 15 million times a year, according to the American Association of Endodontists. They're performed to remove inflamed or infected pulp on the inside of a tooth.

"As far as the health of the president's teeth, I cannot speak to that," Jean-Pierre said. 

The procedure did impact Mr. Biden's schedule. A meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg was postponed until Tuesday. Harris took Mr. Biden's place at College Athlete Day at the White House. 

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• Joe Biden

Aliza Chasan

Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBS News.

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