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Tonsil stones can be a source of chronic bad breath and discomfort. People with tonsil stones often complain of actual pain and discomfort from these little hardened clumps that lodge in their throats. In addition to the pain caused by tonsil stones, the stench is awful, and often the cause of bad breath.
Understanding what tonsil stones or tonsilloliths are can help us to understand why they smell so bad and cause discomfort. Tonsil stones are tiny, hard stones that form in the pocket or crypts of the tonsils. They contain high quantities of sulfa and bacteria, and when crushed, produce the sulfuric smell of rotten eggs. The odor is truly horrible and it gives people who suffer from tonsil stones really bad breath.
Tonsil stones give people the sensation of something being caught in their throat, as those little hard stones are actually caught in the folds and tissue of the tonsils. Many sufferers resort to drastic measures to remove their tonsil stones, including using various instruments, cotton swabs, fingernails, and more to scratch them out. Unfortunately, they end up damaging the soft tissue of the tonsils, and breaking open the stinky tonsil stones.
Most dentists and physicians recommend using a water pick and salt water gargles to remove tonsil stones, and nothing else. Usage of foreign objects can cause scarring and discomfort. It just isn’t a good idea to jab pointed objects into your throat to pick out the stones. The water pick will send a gentle stream of water to push or wash the stones out of the crypts, without crushing them and releasing the foul smell.
Of course, smelly little tonsil stones will also leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. Strong mouthwashes that are certified for use in eliminating bad breath, not just freshening bad breath, may be helpful to eliminate the bad taste as well as reducing the bacteria that cause the bad breath.
Many people who suffer with tonsil stones will find a white film builds up on their tongue. This is caused by too much bacteria and mucous. It may be useful to use a tongue scraper to gentle scrape away the film on the tongue itself, to reduce the cause of the bad breath.
Tonsil stones will only grow in the tonsils, so those individuals with chronic problems may benefit from a tonsillectomy. This surgical procedure is, of course, a last resort, and many physicians will not even to do it unless there are other serious symptoms and problems associated with recurring sore throats. It is worth discussing with your doctor.
While harmless in themselves, tonsil stones are an irritating, smelly problem for people who get them. They form in the crevices of the tonsils and are often hard to see, and not so easy to remove. Good hygiene, rinsing with a water pick, and salt water gargles can help eliminate the tonsil stones, and reduce the bad breath that they create.
October 18th, 2006 at 5:43 pm
….Great. I have tonsil stones…This really cleared up my throat concerns though.
I had started to notice weird little white lumps that emerged from random holes on my tonsils..I could get rid of them without stabbing myself, or removing them with water, I just gagged and they’d sort of fall out…
It relieved me to learn that they aren’t dangerous, just embarassing and kinda gross and not very tasty.Eww…
It was also good to learn that I can take care of these myself, without surgery. :D Saves me a trip to the hospital.
I will definately put your recommendations to use!! Thanks!!
December 30th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
I Get really bad Tonsil stones and very reguraly.
Not small but quite large stones of a yellowie green colour. One way to dislogge them is to press on the the tonsil in which the stone is logged and they pop out.
unfortunitly my tonsels are that bad I have to get them taken out not looking forward to it!!
January 17th, 2008 at 1:51 am
Gosh was I worried the first time I noticed that whitie stuff! Thanks to the internet and people like you who put this up online I am relieved. Tonight I removed my second tonsil stone in my life. It is weird how they appered at 33 and only on one side.
Thanks!
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:08 am
There’s something here that’s not being addressed properly. You ask any doctor about these annoying things in your tonsils and every single doctor will give a different answer. In fact, most will avoid the subject. Just goes to show you the medical community doesn’t really have a clue of what’s going on, or better yet how to solve the problem.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:17 am
I developed this problem a couple of year ago, I’m 31. one thing I do to relieve myself out of these little bastards, I get a plastic straw and cut the tip at an angle (forming a scoop at the end) then I push up my tonsils with the back of my tongue. This will help with making the stones come out completely sometimes, if not I gently scoop the visibly ones out of the flaps. If i’m having a hard time, I’ll leave them alone. In a day or two I’ll try again. I hope this helps my fellow stinky breath brothers and sisters.
May 19th, 2008 at 5:02 am
I too suffer from these grotesque formations
July 30th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
I’ve had these stones for years and so does my sister. The bacteria that is inside them can spread to the tongue and, basically your whole mouth smells. If you’re young enough I would definitely get my tonsils removed. Otherwise, I bought an ‘oral irrigator’, its a jet spray system you use to clear the crap out of your tonsils. The first one I bought was a portable travel system, useless. Get one that stays in your bathroom, they are big but they are also electric toothbrushes and have heads for a familh of five I think. Theyre good. Also, I sometimes brush my teeth with baking soda and peroxide, that helps with all other bad bacteria too.
August 1st, 2008 at 10:43 am
I just got a water pik yesterday and I am overjoyed! I irrigated my tonsils and I didn’t think it did anything until I turned the irrigator off and I felt like 3 tonsil stones on my tongue. It blasted the tonsil turds out so fast that I missed it! I highly recommend a waterpik to kill bad breath caused by tonsil stones.