Jenny McCarthy developed "growths on [her] eyeballs" due to a failed dental implant.

The Masked Singer judge has undergone nine operations and spent most of the year taking medication after suffering recurring infections in her mouth but the source of her discomfort has now been traced.

She told People magazine: "I've had nine surgeries this year, on my mouth.

"I had one infection that turned into another and another, and then I had these growths show up on my eyeballs.

"My teeth were falling out, implants falling out.

"They finally had to dig into my jawbone and found I had a deep bone infection. I've been on antibiotics for a year, and have had to eat soft foods only. Every time we thought it had cleared up, it came back again. I'd be in massive pain with my jaw swelling up."

Fortunately, the 53-year-old star - who has son Evan, 23, with ex-husband John Asher and is married to Donnie Wahlberg - is now "able to chew again".

The Scary Movie actress is looking forward to the holiday season with her husband because her and the 56-yer-old singer-and-actor's respective schedules have made things "a little tricky-wicky" in recent months.

She said: "I've been shooting The Masked Singer in Los Angeles, he's been in Canada with Boston Blue.

"So it's been difficult, which means Thanksgiving and Christmas will mean more to us than ever this year. It's just me and him, at home in Chicago, me cooking a bird, and enjoying each other."

Earlier this year, Jenny told how she "almost died" when she attempted to go vegan.

Speaking to Maria Menounos on her Heal Squad podcast, she said: "I tried vegan and I almost died. I was exhausted and fatigued. I was a mess."

The plant-based diet triggered a flare of Jenny's coeliac disease - an autoimmune condition that prevents sufferers from digesting gluten - and she felt uncomfortable eating a smaller amount of calories.

But once her doctor suggested she go "full carnivore" and she reintroduced "meat, eggs and seafood" to her diet, she felt much better.

She said: "Some people work [and] heal better on a vegan diet and some people don't.

"It's what you believe and you have to follow your intuition and then also follow what your blood says or what your body says. Your body will let you know."