‘That’s what I’ve got going on’

Kelly Ripa has openly shared her journey with Botox before, but her latest revelation may surprise fans, as the media personality and actress has credited Botox injections in her jaw for solving her struggle with teeth grinding at night, a condition known as bruxism.

On the June 5 episode of ‘Live with Kelly and Mark,’ the 54-year-old TV host opened up about her nighttime routine and the dental appliances she uses. Her husband, Mark Consuelos, joked about her routine, teasing, “You have so many things going on in your mouth. You’ve got your retainer, you’ve got the little band, the thing …. Do you have upper and lower retainers?”

Refusing to spill the full details, Kelly replied, “I’m not going to tell you because you live with me and every night you watch me get ready for bed. I’m going to let you figure out whether I wear an upper and lower retainer.” 

Mark said that “whatever it is,” causes her to slur her speech “for the first few hours at night and the first few hours in the morning.” But the root of her nighttime oral routine comes from her dentist’s advice. “I was a tooth grinder,” Kelly explained, “I got Botox in my jaw because my dentist recommended it and it’s changed my life. It’s changed my life.” 

© Bruce Glikas

She added with humor, “I was a real tooth clencher. I clench my teeth because I don’t want what I’m thinking to come spilling out of my mouth.” Mark chimed in with some insight on bruxism: “It can cause tooth wear. You grind your teeth down. It gives you jaw pain, muscle pain.” 

© Mike Coppola

He blamed the habit on “anxiety and stress … caffeine. Annoying husbands cause this.” He also joked about the physical effects, saying it could lead to “those over-built” jawlines. “For a guy, it’s good,” Mark quipped, “because it creates a nice strong jawline.”

The Botox treatment helped Kelly simplify her nighttime regimen. “The Botox helped me reduce my night-time accessories to ‘upper and lower [retainers], no head-gear,’” she shared. “I put my retainer in. That’s what I’ve got going on.”

© Frazer Harrison

This isn’t Kelly’s first time using Botox. She’s previously told People that she’s had injections between her eyebrows, in her neck to “stop your neck from aging,” and in her armpits, which “helps with sweating.” “I know about Botox,” she said before.