Dentist shares the common bathroom mistake that causes people's teeth to turn yellow

Ever looked in the mirror and despaired about the fact that no matter how hard you try, your teeth just won't budge from that pale shade of canary yellow?

Well, there could be a reason for that.

One of the many devastating things you learn as an adult is that brushing your pearly whites alone isn't enough to keep them gleaming. There's also flossing, mouthwash and cutting back on your coffee consumption to keep in mind.

Should this sound like you, then don't feel too ashamed, as there is an entire wealth of information readily available from dentists which could help fix the issue.

Brushing your teeth won't solve all your dental problems (Getty Stock Images)

One person to weigh in on the topic is Dr Sarah Sadek, who previously shared a clip on common offenders for causing yellow teeth on YouTube Shorts.

What causes your teeth to go yellow?

Brushing too hard

You may think that giving your teeth a thorough scrub is essential to making sure you get all of the plaque and rogue bits of food out of your gums, but it turns out that brushing too hard is also detrimental to your teeth.

This is because brushing too hard or over-brushing can damage the enamel coating on your teeth, which is crucial to maintaining white teeth.

According to Willow Tree Dental, yellow teeth isn't the only undesirable side effect of brushing your teeth too hard either, as eroding your enamel barrier can also increase tooth sensitivity. The site goes on to add that an extended period of brushing too much or too hard can cause gum recession, an increase in plaque buildup, and even the dreaded cavities.

Fortunately, yellow staining can be reversed (Getty Stock Images)

Using too much toothpaste

Similar to giving your teeth a deep clean, most of us would probably assume that chucking more toothpaste on the brush is a good idea.

Well, think again.

Not only does this mean that you're spending a small fortune on several tubes of toothpaste every month, but you're also putting yourself at risk of getting the unwelcome yellow stains.

Just like brushing too hard, too much toothpaste can erode plaque and can also lead to a condition called fluorosis, which leads to staining on teeth in extreme circumstances.

At this point, I'm starting to release how many gaps there are in my dental knowledge.

Drinking juice without a straw

Last on the list is likely the most obvious of the three pieces of advice given by Dr Sadek, which is that how you consume drinks has an impact on your teeth.

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DENTIST REVEALS WHY YOU SHOULDN'T USE MOUTHWASH AFTER BRUSHING YOUR TEETH

This piece of advice is backed up by BUPA, who advise that using a straw for consuming anything fizzy or acidic will prevent every sip of the drink splashing over your gnashers.

Obviously this isn't the most environmentally friendly piece of advice, so it might be worth investing in some paper or reusable straws if you're following this rule.