A 42-year-old female asked:
What are tonsil stones?
4 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. David Kamanswered
ENT and Head and Neck Surgery 38 years experience
Tonsilliths: They are bacterial colonies that form in tonsillar crypts. A common bacteria is actinomyces. It can give you a foreign body sensation in throat and halitosis.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Heidi Fowleranswered
Psychiatry 27 years experience
Tonsil stones: Tonsil stone - tonsilloliths - collection of bacterial & cellular debris in tonsillar crypts,
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
502 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Nicole Frommannanswered
Urgent Care 24 years experience
Gargle: Initially you can try gargling with warm salt water and/or mouth wash. If that doesn't help then try taking a long moist swab and manually remove them (like a long q-tip). If you still can't remove them then a doctor can do it for you.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsAnswered >2 years agoMerged
Dr. Ed Friedlanderanswered
Pathology 46 years experience
Remove them: Get a penlight and a mirror and half-unbend a paper clip. You'll get good at it. A water pick is even better. If it's truly a nuisance, a otolaryngologist can laser-resurface your tonsils.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2.6k viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
Similar questions
Lexington, KY
A 21-year-old female asked:
Can tonsil stones be harmful?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Danny Proffittanswered
Family Medicine 45 years experience
No! Offensive? Yes!: Tonsil stones are offensive due to odor. They may cause discomfort and possibly and infection could result from them. Mostly it is odor and cosmetic.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
How do I know I have tonsil stones?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Bernstein Joelanswered
ENT and Head and Neck Surgery 62 years experience
Look in the mirror: Tonsilloliths or so called stones in the tonsils are usually collections of food particles in the crypts (grooves) on the surface of the tonsil. You can see them in the mirror as small white round collections. They may represent bacterial colonies, food particles or small retention cysts. They often produce a foul odor to the breath and may be a minor indication for tonsil removal.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
What are tonsil stones? Are they dangerous?
4 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in
Dr. Russell Faustanswered
ENT and Head and Neck Surgery 31 years experience
Not dangerous: Tonsils "stones" - tonsil liths - are a collection of bacteria, sloughed cells from the lining of the oral cavity, and microscopic particles of food, that accumulate in the pits of the tonsil surface. They often are irritating, and contribute to bad breath. They are not dangerous. Some people have luck with a "water pik" to regularly remove them.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
CA
A 34-year-old member asked:
How can tonsil stones be recognized?
2 doctor answers • 12 doctors weighed in
Dr. Russell Faustanswered
ENT and Head and Neck Surgery 31 years experience
Just look: With the right light and a goo mirror, tonsil "stones" can be seen by opening your mouth and looking in the mirror. They are usually whitish nodules that fill little pits - "crypts" - in the surface of the tonsil.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
How are tonsil stones removed?
3 doctor answers • 17 doctors weighed in
Dr. Russell Faustanswered
ENT and Head and Neck Surgery 31 years experience
Various ways: I have known patients who were bothered by their "tonsil stones" who used a tooth-pick to clean out the tonsil stones; others reported that they used a "water pik" with great success. Try also daily gargling with salt water (saline) containing manuka honey - "nature's antibiotic".
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Oct 24, 2017
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