U.S. President Joe Biden leaves Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington, U.S., June 10, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Rose Layden Acquisition of licensing rights
WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden postponed a meeting with the head of NATO and skipped his other public events on Monday to undergo his second root canal procedure in as many days, the White House said.
“The president is doing fine and will definitely be working at the residence this afternoon,” spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre said after treatment at the White House.
Biden reported tooth pain Sunday, prompting an X-ray and root canal treatment by a team from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, according to a letter from his doctor distributed to the press.
“The President tolerated the procedure well,” the doctor, Kevin O’Connor, wrote of the previously undisclosed treatment. “There were no complications.”
Biden, 80, experienced more pain on Monday, received local anesthesia and did not have to hand over his powers to Vice President Kamala Harris under the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution, the White House said.
Biden’s wife, first lady Jill Biden, commented on the procedure at a fund-raising event in New York, saying she went to the dentist at the White House to check on Biden and “he was under anesthesia. But he came and he was good.”
Asked for clarification on her comments, a White House official said Biden had simply undergone local anesthesia for the procedure.
Root canal procedures are common to treat infected teeth that cause pain, especially in older adults, said Asgeir Sigurdsson, chair of endodontics at New York University College of Dentistry. Millions are performed each year in the United States with an almost universal success rate, he said.
Sometimes two or more procedures are needed to remove damaged tooth tissue and completely resolve the problem, Sigurdsson said. Local anesthetics used to numb the pain during the procedure may make it difficult to speak for a few hours afterwards.
“Once you treat it properly, it will heal without complications,” Sigurdsson said.
Biden previously underwent root canal procedures in the 1990s as a senator overseeing Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas.
Biden is the oldest person to serve as US president, and both his age and health have been the focus of voters as he seeks a second, four-year term in the 2024 election.
THE SEARCH FOR A NATO LEADER IS HEATING UP
A meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and a reception for diplomatic staff was rescheduled for Tuesday. An event celebrating college athletes was attended by Harris, who made no mention of Biden’s absence.
The US-led NATO search for Stoltenberg’s successor has been heating up with several potential candidates emerging from Europe as the military alliance backs non-NATO Ukraine in its response to the Russian invasion.
Biden has yet to make a choice, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Stoltenberg is due to step down at the end of September after nine years in the post.
Any new NATO leader must balance the unified members’ support for Ukraine while guarding against any developments that would lead the group directly to war with Russia.
NATO secretaries general are generally appointed through a consensus-oriented process involving all 31 members of the group. The United States exerts enormous influence over all NATO decisions, paying particular attention to Biden’s views.
Report by Trevor Hunnicutt. Additional reporting by Tyler Clifford and Doina Chiacu in Washington and Nupur Ananda in New York. Editing: Jonathan Oatis, Grant McCool and Leslie Adler
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