Tales From the Operatory Part VI: President Joe Biden and the Root Canal

Toothaches never occur when you want them, but if it were a matter of want, we’d never have them as who wants a toothache?  Toothaches are definitely inconvenient, but maybe not as much for the President of the United States.  President Biden woke up with a toothache this past June.  He had a full schedule to attend to, but tooth 29 was throbbing.

The White House has its own dental office in the basement for the President. The only schedule the president needs to worry about is his own as the dental office in the White House will see him at any time.  President Biden went down to the basement and had x-rays and was examined.  It was determined he needed a root canal on tooth 29.  A root canal specialist (endodontist) was brought in and administered a local anesthetic to numb the nerves around the tooth.  The endodontist created a small opening in the infected tooth. Doing so allowed the dental professional to access the pulp chamber. With the use of the different tiny instruments, the affected pulp or nerve was removed. The root canals were also cleaned by using certain tools. After they were cleared, the canals were then ready for sealing and filling.  He did not use general anesthesia so there was no worry about having to enact the 25^th Amendment while he was “under.”  It may be that he required a crown for the tooth afterward to protect its structure but that information was not released to the public.

The purpose of root canal treatment is to save the tooth that might supposedly be lost due to an infection within. To those who are worried about having the procedure, they should not be as it is the best approach to preserve the teeth. Moreover, if the tooth is infected, it can be excruciating. To halt the pain root canal treatment is the best choice

People hear “root canal” and immediately begin to cringe, thinking the treatment is worse than the problem.  The opposite is, in fact, the truth.  A root canal actually relieves the pain, it is not the cause of it.  You do not want a tooth infection.  You do not want the consequences of that tooth infection.

We have a team of root canal specialists at Columbia Dental.  We have one on staff seven days a week.  Don’t prolong the pain.  You don’t have to be the President of the United States to be seen quickly.  Call 860-645-0111 to see them in one day, the Same Day, 7 Days a week.