The small white spots you can see on your tonsils at the back of the throat are not called tonsil stones, and are responsible for a variety of oral problems including bad breath. Tonsil stones develop due to accumulation of bacteria, mucus, skin cells and food deposits in the tonsil holes. They are usually yellow or white in color and have a squishy texture. Tonsil stones can lead to throat infections, bad breath, difficulty swallowing and few other oral problems.
In general, people with larger tonsils and those with recurrent tonsil infections are more prone to tonsil stones. Poor oral hygiene can also lead to tonsil stones, which is why you should pay more attention to your oral health. The stones are usually removed surgically, but the procedure doesn’t guarantee that they won’t be back afterwards. There’s another problem as well – by removing your tonsils, you are removing a vital part of the immune system that prevents the entrance of bacteria in the body.
Luckily, there are quite a few simple procedures which can remove your tonsil stones easily. Here are the best ones:
Q-tips
Take a clean q-tip and push the tonsil stones with slight pressure in order to remove them from the pockets. Do this until they’re dislodged, then keep pushing until they pop out.
Dental irrigation syringes
Dental irrigations syringes can remove deeper tonsil stones and are easier to use than q-tips. Keep them top down to make the stones fall off out of the mouth. The liquid in the syringes should be made from 3% hydrogen peroxide and a bit of water. Hydrogen peroxide will remove the stones effectively and disinfect the area as well.
Oral irrigator
This device is a great automatic way of removing tonsil stones. Position the nozzle of the device directly at the stones, set it at the lowest setting and fire away. Be gentle though – too much pressure from the device can harm your tonsils.
Oral probiotics
Taking probiotics such as S. Salivarius 12 will work great against tonsil stones. It’s best to open up a probiotic capsule and mix it with 4 oz. of warm water. Swish the mixture in your mouth near the tonsil stones – tilt your head back if you can’t reach the spot. This will dislodge the stones and make them fall our easier. Chewing gum or swishing toothpaste in the area around the tonsils can also make the process go easier.