Kelly Ripa Explains Reason for Dental Surgery That Resulted in ‘Live!’ Absence

Kelly Ripa is revealing the reason she had to have the gum-graft surgery that has kept her off of Live! With Kelly and Mark since July 27. “I’m an over-brusher,” the popular morning show co-host revealed in the latest episode of her podcast Let’s Talk Off Camera With Kelly Ripa, which was recorded before the surgery. “I brush my teeth too much. It’s a good bad habit. But I’ve caused gum recession down here specifically, and so they have gotta regum my gums,” Ripa told Survival of the Thickest star Michelle Buteau, who appeared on the Aug. 12 podcast. Ripa’s husband and Live! co-host Mark Consuelos just over two weeks ago revealed that his wife and co-host had undergone the painful dental surgery and was recovering at home under doctor’s orders not to speak. The medical procedure involves transferring tissue from a patient’s palate to the area where their gums have receded. But after Buteau praised Ripa for her bravery in going ahead with the dental surgery, Ripa during her podcast reiterated what Consuelos revealed on July 27: Her doctor recommended that she have the surgery five years ago, but she had delayed it. “Before you praise me, I was supposed to do it five years ago. But now, just so you know, the doctor was like, ‘Now, you don’t have the luxury of time,’” Ripa told Buteau. Ripa added she had to manage her stress level ahead of the medical procedure, knowing she wouldn’t be able to speak while in recovery. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up