Why Are My Teeth Yellow When I Brush Them Every Day?

Bright, white teeth are the dream, aren’t they? A good clean smile can do wonders for your self esteem and confidence! You probably have a really good oral health routine, but you may be wondering “Why are my teeth yellow when I brush them every day?”

There are a few reasons why this may be happening, and, luckily, a few solutions you can try to get your pearly whites, er, white!

Why Are My Teeth Yellow When I Brush Them Every Day?

A good oral routine is very important, as we all know. It can be very disheartening when we brush well but our teeth don’t reflect this!

Teeth can become discoloured for many different reasons, and most of these are related to our lifestyle choices:

• Smoking is a major factor in having discoloured teeth. Tobacco will stain teeth, as well as compromising tooth and gum health.
• Tea and coffee are also big contributors in having yellowing teeth; these drinks can stain the teeth over time.
• Red wine is another well known tooth stainer; try to limit your consumption for your general health as well as that of your teeth.
• Some types of medication can cause teeth to become discoloured. This is probably not something you can control, so it’s worth having a chat with your healthcare provider to see if they can help.
• Certain medical conditions can cause teeth to become damaged and discoloured; anything that causes a lot of vomiting, such as morning sickness or bulimia, can damage the enamel and lead to staining.
• Good oral hygiene is another big part of keeping your teeth as white and healthy as they can be. Brushing twice a day and flossing will go a long way towards making your teeth white and beautiful.

As disheartening as it is, sometimes you can have the best oral health routine and still have yellow teeth.

If this is you, it might be worth talking to your dentist about one of the various whitening procedures that can help to improve your smile.

Can Yellow Teeth Become White By Brushing?

You may think that you can brush your way to a whiter smile – but sadly this is not always possible.

Brushing teeth can help with removing the things that cause tartar and plaque, but it can’t necessarily make your teeth whiter overnight.

Yellowing teeth is generally caused by outside influences – food choices, smoking, certain medications – and this is not something you can always control.

Over brushing your teeth can actually cause you more issues than under brushing. You can damage your gums, and in some cases actually brush damaging things into your teeth.

You should, of course, practise good oral hygiene by brushing every day with a flouride toothpaste, flossing, and using a good mouthwash.

But, sadly, you cannot whiten your teeth with brushing alone, unless you decide to make your own toothpaste!

• Take one part of Hydrogen Peroxide and two parts of Baking Soda, mix together well into a paste.
• Gently brush your teeth with the paste a few times a week.
• Don’t overdo it, as baking soda is abrasive and hydrogen peroxide may weaken tooth enamel.

Oil pulling is another technique that is growing in popularity, that may help to improve the colour of your teeth by removing stains and bacteria:

• Place a teaspoon of coconut oil in your mouth (you can use other types of oil but coconut is most often recommended)
• Swish it around in your mouth for around 20 minutes, then spit it out and rinse well.
• This should be done every day for best results, and you should start to see an improvement after a few weeks.

If you’ve tried everything and nothing works, a trip to the dentist to discuss teeth whitening options might be your best bet. This may be expensive, but what price a confident, happy smile. Right?

Does Brushing Your Teeth 3 Times A day Make Them Whiter?

Brushing teeth twice a day, and using a flouride toothpaste plus a mouthwash, and flossing, is considered to be the best regime for your teeth.

So, if brushing your teeth twice a day is good, then surely three times a day is better? Well, not necessarily…

Brushing your teeth more often will not damage them, as long as you don’t brush too hard or use a very stiff bristled toothbrush.

However, the colour of your teeth is more likely based on your diet than your brushing routine, and extra brushing might not help.

If you consume a lot of food and drink that are known to stain teeth, for example tea, coffee and red wine, then you are more likely to have discolouration no matter how often you brush.

Try instead to choose a healthy diet, and limit food and drink that is known to stain teeth, and you will be one step ahead in the fight for beautiful white teeth.

Does Mouthwash Whiten Teeth?

Although mouthwash manufacturers would have you believe that their products can transform your teeth, sadly this is not always the case.

In fact, some mouthwashes can even stain the teeth and cause them to become temporarily discoloured, even though they may be very good for the oral health otherwise.

However, regularly using a mouthwash that contains hydrogen peroxide can help to whiten your teeth when used for a long time.

It is recommended that you use a good quality mouthwash, along with flossing and brushing, twice a day.

Tooth whitening can take a long time, so don’t be disheartened if you don’t see results straight away – you’ll need to have a really good tooth routine for a good few months.

Even if a mouthwash won’t make you look like you have just had your teeth whitened, they are very good for your oral health overall.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it. Try out a few of the ideas above and you will no longer be worrying about yellow teeth!

And remember, a good diet and good oral health routine is the most important thing; everything else can follow.