Weeks after her absence from "Live with Kelly and Mark," Kelly Ripa has revealed exactly what caused the gum graft surgery that left her unable to speak for 10 days - and it's a habit far more people share than most realize.
"I'm an over-brusher," Ripa told actress Michelle Buteau on the latest episode of her "Let's Talk Off Camera" podcast. "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 re-gum my gums." She added that her dentist had recommended the procedure five years earlier, joking, "The doctor was like, 'Now, you don't have the luxury of time!'"
Ripa, 55, described the graft in detail, explaining that surgeons "take the skin off of the roof of your mouth and they put it over your gums" to replace tissue lost to recession. She said she wasn't allowed to talk for 10 days afterward, one of the reasons her husband and co-host, Mark Consuelos, filled fans in on her absence back in July.
Dental experts say Ripa's experience points to a common but overlooked mistake. Aggressive, horizontal brushing can wear down gum tissue over time, according to periodontist Dr. Brooke Aichelmann-Reidy, who was not involved in Ripa's care. "If you've got the bristles going horizontal, it's really easy to scrub off your gums," she explained, noting that the proper technique is a 45-degree angle with gentler pressure along the gumline.
Ripa has spoken about her Catholic upbringing and the steady role faith has played through difficult seasons in her life - a grounding she's leaned on again through this recovery. She's set to return to live tapings of "Live" in September.
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