President Joe Biden will undergo a root canal Monday morning after experiencing oral discomfort, the White House announced.
Biden said Sunday that he was experiencing discomfort in his lower right premolar, and the presidential dental team at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center determined he was in need of a root canal, physician to the president Kevin O’Connor said in a statement.
An “initial root canal procedure was performed at the time, with a plan for specialized endodontal follow up in the near future,” O’Connor added, noting that Biden “tolerated the procedure well” and that “there were no complications.”
The 80-year-old president experienced “further discomfort” Monday morning, and the dental team plans to complete the root canal later in the day, O’Connor said.
Biden’s dental work appeared to come as a surprise. Vice President Kamala Harris stepped in for Biden to deliver remarks celebrating the men’s and women’s NCAA championship teams from the 2022-2023 season. Biden’s meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and his remarks for the Chiefs of Mission Reception were postposed to Tuesday.
US President Joe Biden departs after attending Mass at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington, DC, on June 10, 2023. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
The president last underwent a medical procedure when he had a cancerous skin lesion removed from his chest in February.
The oldest president in U.S. history had his last physical in February, with O’Connor deeming him “fit for duty.” (RELATED: ‘I Think People Have To Just Watch Me’: Biden Reveals Thoughts On His Health, Running In 2024)
“The President remains fit for duty, and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations,” O’Connor wrote the day of the examination. The physical examinations included optometry; dentistry; an exam of his feet, ankle and spine; physical therapy, neurology; cardiology; radiology and dermatology.
A majority of Americans polled by Harvard Caps/Harris said they worry Biden won’t live through a second term.