What Are Tonsil Stones & How Do I Get Rid of Them?

Have you ever found a whiteish-yellowish lump in the back of your throat, and wondered what it might be or where it came from? It might be a tonsil stone. These pesky little bacteria buildups are one of the underlying causes of bad breath—so how do you get rid of them? Join Michael Aranda for a new episode of SciShow, all about your oral health!

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[CobaltDegrees]

I once coughed a tonsil stone out in front of a friend.
We're not friends anymore.
:'c

[onikatanyamarajpetty]

I genuinely thought I was the only person on the planet who got these, seems I’m not alone

[friendlygoose]

I have invented a good way to get them out. Take an empty tube from a sample sized toothpaste, punch a tiny hole in the cap. Fill it with water and squish the tube while aiming at tonsil stones, the stream of water will get them out... I was struggling for so many years getting them out with picks until I got this idea. Now they are not much of an issue anymore

[missmata]

Some tips to prevent tonsil stones that work for me.
1. Besides the obvious brushing teeth in the morning/night. When brushing tongue, brush it as good as you can, gag a lot if you have to, it will loosen the stones.
2. Buy a tongue scraper (the metal ones are the best)
2. Get a curved syringe (like the ones they give you after you get wisdom teeth removed) squirt water directly at your tonsils after you eat to prevent them building up.
3. I know ppl suggest a water pik but unless it’s at a very low setting, it can actually cause your tonsils to bleed. The syringe is better.
4. Saltwater rinse. I find listerine didn’t help at all. The salt water gets rid of bacteria and also soothes throat.
5. Drink water! I know this is obvious but when you’re eating, drink water to make sure you’re flushing all your food down and reduce chances of food sitting on your tongue.
I haven’t got any in almost 3 weeks since I started doing this. And I stick my tongue out to smell my breath (idk if that makes sense) and I don’t smell that tonsil stone smell so I know I don’t have any.

[imvutriggers]

Who gets so excited when you get them out

[aspenparker]

SOMETIMES I ACCIDENTALLY SWALLOW THEM AND WHENEVER I DO I CRY BECAUSE ITS SO NASTY AND IT FEELS SO WRONG

[benevolentantichrist]

I had one that came out soft and accidentally squished it. I've never fully recovered

[filipatavares]

As someone who constantly has tonsil stones, when they get too uncomfortable I go to the ent doctor for them to take them out. They told me that a reason some people are more prone to having these is because of the way your tonsil is made, some people have way more "holes" in their tonsils so it's easier for food to get stuck there, but it also means that you're less likely to be sick all the time cause they also grab a lot of germes. All in all, super uncomfortable, you look crazy making faces trying to get them out and when they get out it's worth a mini celebration, but it never caused me actual health problems

[Monn]

They smell so bad that it makes you want to keep smelling

[atomjackman]

Thank God for this video, coz WebMD told me bout the 63 types of cancers I had.

[Anjmed]

I had these for years. I would get strep throat at least once a month! Mine were so big I could barely swallow at one point. So thankful to the ENT who took out my tonsils!

[memorysalvation]

POV: you just coughed one out for the third time and you’re genuinely getting concerned

[nunya]

Thank you for not saying they are caused by bad oral hygiene ❤

[Atlastheyote]

Had my tonsils removed a week ago today and so far it’s been a miserable experience but I’m excited to not have bad breath or deal with the throat pain anymore.

[Rivika]

Another way to help remove the stones is to use a glass (carefully) or hard acrylic medicine dropper (soft tube doesn't work). Gently squeeze the bulb, place the tip of the dropper on the stone, and release the bulb. The suction should grab hold of the stone and pull it out or suck it into the tube itself. Repeat if necessary.

[Master_Therion]

Ughh, Tonsil Stones, what a pain in the neck...

[crassusofrome]

I used to think there was nothing I could do about tonsil stones other than "popping them out". I could smell my breath was putrid and it gave me social anxiety talking to other people. There is a solution people - get a curved tip syringe and squirt water with it at your tonsils. It washes them out. I've been doing this for a couple of years now daily and although it's a pain, I don't need to worry about bad breath anymore. Life changing.

[vice.nor.virtue]

I've been alive for 27 years now and NOTHING has beaten the smell of tonsils stones for me in terms of pure horrifying grossness.

[roastbeeff]

now I don’t wanna eat anymore cause I’m scared I’m gonna get food stuck in the crypts 😂😭

[adrianradu]

I was able to remove mine with the tail of a teaspoon. At first, It was very hard to overcome the gag reflex, but no matter how sensitive you are, if you do it little by little, you do get used to it. In order to make it easier, I used ice, both in my mouth and on the teaspoon aswell so it made it a lot easier to work. I simply scraped the soft and stinky stones off the tonsils, gargled non-alcooholic mouthwash and I completely got rid of the discomfort I used to feel before.