The White House indicated that Biden would not be put under anesthesia during the procedure and that the powers of the presidency would not be temporarily transferred to Vice President Harris.
Biden, 80, told medical officials at the White House on Sunday that he was experiencing dental pain in his lower-right premolar, physician Kevin C. O’Connor wrote in a letter to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, which was publicly released. The premolars are about halfway back in a person’s mouth.
After performing an examination at the White House on Sunday, members of the presidential dental team from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center followed up with an initial root canal, O’Connor wrote.
Biden experienced “further discomfort,” which was anticipated, and members of an endodontal specialty team will complete the root canal on Monday, he said.
O’Conner said Biden tolerated Sunday’s procedure well and there were no complications.
The White House said that Harris would appear instead of Biden at the NCAA event. Her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, was already scheduled to attend.
