Dentist explains when you should brush your teeth in the morning after common ‘mistake’ could be turning them yellow

Dentists have finally set the record straight on what time in the morning you should be brushing your teeth.

After we've scrolled through our phones, rubbed the sleep from our eyes and finally rolled out of bed in the morning most of us are too preoccupied by making sure we're dressed and heading out the door on time.

But did you know there's a right and wrong way to start the day?

Perhaps you feel compelled to scrub away our stale morning breath from the moment our head leaves the pillow or maybe you're the person who wants to wait until they've eaten before brushing so we can feel fresher for longer.

After all, as long as you're brushing twice a day the specific order of things shouldn't matter right?

Unfortunately things aren't that simple and many may be surprised to learn that not cleaning your pearly whites first thing in the morning could be damaging to your oral health.

The argument has been backed up online by multiple dentists, with Anna Peterson explaining exactly why eating before brushing your teeth in the morning can be so harmful.

"When you eat breakfast, your mouth becomes acidic," she explained in a recent TikTok video.

"So what you're doing when you brush your teeth after breakfast is brushing the acid into the tooth and this wears away the enamel. And, brushing before breakfast protects your teeth from anything you're going to eat."

Brushing first thing in the morning is crucial for clearing bacteria. (Getty Stock Images)

Anna isn't the only dentist to back up this idea either, with fellow social media dentist Doctor Vikas Prinja telling his followers that the body's saliva production decreases during sleep. As salvia is beneficial to stopping your pearly whites becoming pearly yellows, the lack of it means your mouth becomes a breeding ground for bacteria during the nighttime.

Eating before brushing will only feed the bacteria in your mouth - which is no good for your dental health.

Understandably this is bad news for anyone who enjoys a glass of orange juice with their cereal but we'd argue that a minty breakfast is an acceptable trade off for healthy teeth.

Are there any other common dental mistakes?

So now you know that eating before brushing is a big no-no, it's time to address another common mistake in our dental routine - when to use mouthwash.

Banishing yellow stains is a very common dental concerns. (Getty Stock Images)

It's commonly thought that a swig of mouthwash is the perfect way to finish off after brushing and flossing - but not according to dentist Dr Sam Jethwa.

"It is not recommended to rinse directly after brushing your teeth," he recently told LADBible.

The reason being that mouthwash can remove the fluoride deposited on your teeth by toothpaste, which can lead to weakened enamel and yellow teeth.

"Basically, the more fluoride that remains on the teeth, the better it is for improving the strength of the enamel," Dr Sam added.

The more you know!