The tooth is out there: Biden gets a root canal

President Joe Biden’s packed Monday schedule was derailed by none other than a root canal.

Biden was supposed to host College Athlete Day at the White House, but Vice President Kamala Harris subbed for him so he could undergo the dental procedure. The president’s afternoon meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the Oval Office and his remarks at the Chiefs of Missions Reception in the East Room Monday evening were rescheduled for Tuesday, the White House said.

As of Monday afternoon, the president’s root canal had been completed, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, adding that Biden will work in the residence. The president was not put under general anesthesia and the 25th Amendment was not invoked.

“As far as the health of the president's teeth, I cannot speak to that,” Jean-Pierre said, when asked what caused the root canal.

On Sunday, Biden said he was experiencing some pain in his lower right premolar — tooth 29, to be exact, according to a letter from Kevin C. O’Connor, physician to the president. The dental team from Walter Reed National Medical Center examined the president and took X-rays.

The team decided that the president needed a root canal, and they performed an initial procedure at the time, with a plan for the president to see a specialist for this tooth work in the near future, according to the letter. Biden’s “discomfort” continued Monday morning, so the specialty team from Walter Reed will finished the root canal at the White House on Monday.

Luckily for Biden, he just had to make a short trip to the White House basement where there’s a full dental setup, according to former President Barack Obama, who told Jimmy Kimmel about the office in a 2015 interview when asked about how going to the dentist works when you’re president. (And shout out to former President Herbert Hoover, who set up the facility for quick and convenient dental work while he was in the White House.)

The president’s schedule beyond Monday is also busy, with White House events and trips to both Connecticut and Pennsylvania on the agenda. Root canal pain typically subsides within a few days and can be managed with some over the counter pain medicine such as ibuprofen or Tylenol.

Adam Cancryn contributed to this report.