HEALTHKelly Ripa Reveals the 'Good Bad Habit' That Led to Her 'Painful' Gum Surgery
Kelly Ripa admitted the 'habit' on her podcast.
Aug. 12 2026, Published 4:59 p.m. ET
Kelly Ripa proved that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.
The Live With Kelly and Mark co-host shared details of her painful gum surgery, which resulted in an extended absence from the popular morning talk show she co-hosts with her husband, Mark Consuelos.
Kelly Ripa was joined by Michelle Buteau for the episode.
During the latest episode of her "Let's Talk Off Camera" podcast, she welcomed actress Michelle Buteau — who was one of the guest co-hosts of Live as Ripa recovered — confessing what led her to need the orthodontic procedure.
After Ripa mentioned the procedure during the podcast episode, which was recorded prior to the surgery, Buteau, 49, replied that the surgery "sounds painful."
'I Brush My Teeth Too Much'
Kelly Ripa confessed being an 'over-brusher' is the 'good bad habit.'
"It is," Ripa confirmed before she shared that she’s "not allowed to talk for 10 days" because "they take the skin off of the roof of your mouth and they put it (over your gums)," as part of the procedure.
The 55-year-old continued, admitting, "I’m an over-brusher. I brush my teeth too much. It’s a good bad habit. So, they’ve got to re-gum my gums!"
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'Before You Praise Me, I Was Supposed to Do It Five Years Ago'
Kelly Ripa claimed 'death creeps in through the gums.'
While Buteau applauded Ripa for taking the time off to take care of her health, Ripa interjected to confess, "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!'"
She later quipped that "death creeps in through the gums" before referencing her medically imposed bout of silence when she asked Buteau, "Do I ever need to be heard again?" jokingly answering her own question, "I don’t think so!"
'But This One Hurts. So I Know It's Painful'
Mark Consuelos shared that his wife had undergone surgery during the July 27 episode of 'Live.'
Consuelos first mentioned that his wife had undergone the procedure on the Monday, July 27 episode of Live with guest co-host Kevin Jonas.
During their conversation, he shared, "Yeah. It's painful. She famously doesn't feel pain. She doesn't; when she goes to the dentist, she doesn't really use the Novocaine. But this one hurts. So I know it's painful."
The popular morning show is currently airing pre-taped episodes as the program takes its annual summertime hiatus, all of which feature Ripa before she went in for surgery.
Live is expected to return for a new season later this year.
