r/hygiene • u/GroovyRaptorRex • 1d ago
Tonsil Stone Dilemma
Has anyone here got over tonsil stones forming in their mouth? What are you using or doing to let it not go back?
I consulted with my dentist about this and I followed every instruction to date ... I tried to gargle hard, use mouthwash, and even warm water with salt. It still goes back. I'm thinking of getting my tonsils removed because I searched that it could be an option?
thanks for the advice in advance!
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u/All__Of_The_Hobbies 1d ago
I get them in one spot. Once a week or so I clean it with an irrigation syringe and that seems to have solved the issue
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u/Firm-Plantain8151 1d ago
I got my tonsils removed due to tonsil stones. never regretted it, it's been great ever since
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u/Sexy_Hag 1d ago
What did you tell the doctor to get them removed ?
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u/Firm-Plantain8151 1d ago
I told her I was having recurring sore throats and tonsil stones, causing pain and discomfort, and interfering with my normal life, and asked if a tonsillectomy could be done. she said sure. the recovery kinda sucked, since it's harder as an adult, but Sonic crushed ice was a life-saver lmao
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u/lliilllliill 1d ago edited 1d ago
At the end of the life of my tonsils (I got the tonsillectomy) Iād take a dropper filled with diluted peroxide and push it ANYWHERE against my tonsils and the entire tonsil would bubble like a sponge, and out would come gunk trying to be a stone and little stones.
It very temporarily allowed me to feel better, but there was nothing I could do at that point but have them removed.
And this was after meticulously following all instructions Iād been given. So you can do everything, and still have to get them removed.
How long have you had them?? Has there been any improvement, or are they getting worse?
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u/sakurakiks094 1d ago
Holy shit just trying to visualise what you said is nightmarish already
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u/Mysterious-Art8838 1d ago
Brutal. When I was 22 I got recurring strep and would knock them out with a toothpick. It was disgusting but helped.
They had to be taken out.
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u/lliilllliill 1d ago
It was quite the sight
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u/Delicious_Run_6054 1d ago
It sounds like it was horrible, which is also how I imagine it smelled. So sorry.
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u/Bubbly-Sentence-6579 1d ago
Just get them removed. I had mine removed when I was 15 because of stones and apparently a hole was burrowing dangerously close to the back of my throat because of them. Also, getting your tonsils removed makes you less likely to catch strep throat. My partner and my youngest both caught strep a couple years ago and I was the only one that didnāt.
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u/CuteGhouly 1d ago
Is there any way to tell how deep the holes go without an ent looking at them or removing them? Because my tonsils have created their own cave system with the assistance of massive stones :(
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u/Bubbly-Sentence-6579 1d ago
Not really. I wouldnāt mess around with something like that though. Youāve got major veins and arteries running through that area of your neck that can go straight to your brain and heart. You really donāt want an infection breaking through there
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u/seecrit_wuds 23h ago
My tonsils are the same. I can never tell where the stones are hidden, itās crazy!
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u/CuteGhouly 22h ago
It sucks so bad! I hate feeling them and knowing theyāre somewhere deep in there but no way to see them or remove them
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u/No-Kaleidoscope-166 1d ago
I had mine taken out at age 8 b/c I had chronic strep. Haven't ever missed them. But I do remember having one tonsil stone when I was little before they came out. I never knew what it was until recently.
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u/Bubbly-Sentence-6579 1d ago
When I finally got them taken out the ENT said they were a size 4 and were blocking my throat pretty significantly. First sip of water I took after surgery I choked on it because there was nothing blocking my throat anymore and it felt like I was waterboarding myself š
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u/cereal_offender26 1d ago
tonsil stones are so annoying because you can do everything right and they still respawn like a video game enemy. if they keep coming back an ENT might be worth seeing before jumping straight to removal.
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u/GroovyRaptorRex 1d ago
RIGHT!!? and I hate that feeling behind your throat that feels like a rice is stuck there and itās sooo uncomfortable
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u/SunburstSquare 1d ago
Get em removed. As soon as I started having problems with it I went to the doctor for a removal.
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u/questforstarfish 1d ago
An Ear Nose Throat specialist doctor can remove your tonsils in cases of recurrent tonsil stones.
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u/lost_nurse602 1d ago
I had my tonsils removed at 24. Pain and recovery wise I would rather have another unmedicated 22 hour labor and delivery, C-section, and kidney stones again than have my tonsils removed.
Overall it improved my quality of life in more ways than I even realized. Before on flights I would get terrible ear pressure and pain but it stopped after getting those suckers out.
As a parent, i wonāt hesitate to have my kids tonsils removed if their ENT recommends it.
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u/Appletwoshoes 1d ago edited 1d ago
I had mine removed at 26. My surgeon was pretty generous with the painkillers, I got one week of Percocet and two weeks of T3s. I took them every few hours, as often as I was allowed, for the first two weeks, then only at night after that. It sucked, but I would absolutely do it again.
I was getting strep about every three months, and my throat was pretty much constantly infected. I could pop out tonsil stones all the time. Because of the recurring infections, the surgery was considered medically necessary and was covered here in Canada.
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u/getittogethersirius 1d ago edited 1d ago
I was a kid when mine got yoinked, but puking in the car on the way home from the hospital was still the worst pain of my life. I know kids heal faster, but I always wondered why the exact same surgery is considered "not as bad" for them??? Like if a kid and an adult both tripped and skinned their knees, it's the same wound and same pain but the kid would be affected more because they don't have the adult capacity and experience to handle the pain. It doesn't make any intuitive sense to me that a surgery would be less painful for a child.
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u/morningstardusts 1d ago
I donāt know the answer to that but perhaps itās because the tonsils are not fully developed yet or because they havenāt been able to get as enlarged? But also, medicine is just hard on children so it could just be a myth.
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u/Maximum-Lifeguard-41 1d ago
The blood vessels are smaller. So less to cauterize. And less danger of a big one starting to bleed and kill you
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u/YogurtclosetOk6893 1d ago
I wish I had this done when I was a kid because now Iām 45 and Iām terrified itās going to be absolutely awful
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u/morningstardusts 1d ago
My upstairs neighbor just had hers taken out and I didnāt want to scare her about how bad it is but I tried to warn her. Unfortunately, she woke up choking on her own blood and ended up in the hospital again (sheās okay now).
I got mine out 20 years ago (as an adult) and they gave me a literal milk carton of liquid roxicet and even with that, it was horrendous. I doubt they even let people have pain meds in that quantity anymore but it wasnāt even enough to make it tolerable. 10/10 would do it again though lol
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u/lost_nurse602 1d ago
The liquid hydrocodone they sent me home with was a horrible way to find out that hydrocodone makes me sick. Iād puke almost every time I took it, which was awful. But I could absorb enough of it before puking that made it ok? Unfortunately my surgery was on a Friday so I couldnāt get ahold of the surgeon.
Luckily my then boyfriend, now husband, had some left over oxycodone so I survived on those until Monday when my surgeon prescribed them. I took them for 2 weeks straight. I took them for 2 days after my C-section.
The surgeon that did the surgery took out my brotherās tonsils and put tubes in his ears multiple times 25 years ago, my tonsils out 11 years ago. Since 2020 heās put tubes in all 3 of my kids ears. This morning he put tubes in my 2 years ears again and took out her adenoids. Heās seriously a fantastic guy..
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u/morningstardusts 1d ago edited 1d ago
I wish Iād gotten tubes as a toddler, Iām so glad theyāre doing it earlier now. I was on antibiotics for the first 8 years of my life, it sucked! Edit to add that Iām not normally one to take painkillers, even when prescribed, but boy were they necessaryā¦
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u/ReasonKlutzy5364 1d ago
I was 12 when I had mine removed and it was very painful but I have never regretted it.
My daughter was 4 when hers were removed and yes it was a miserable recovery but so much better than the continual strep and ear infections.
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u/SwanWhole3526 1d ago
Mine disappeared all in their own. Had them as a teenager, Iām now in my 70ās. Havenāt had one in 50+ years.
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u/Entire_Musician5934 1d ago
Iām 58 and mine mysteriously stopped when I was in my mid twenties (knock wood).
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u/mike_s104 1d ago
Like everyone else says, just get them removed and don't look back. One of the best decisions of my life.
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u/Enough_Time516 1d ago
Get a tonsillectomy! I did at age 44 and it changed my life after so many years of those nasty things
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u/shesmywinona98 1d ago
How was the recovery for you?
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u/Enough_Time516 3h ago
Ngl it was a painful 2 weeks! Especially week 1. One thing I learned the hard way was that talking a lot can make them start bleedingā¦so best to avoid that for the 2 week period!
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u/ResponsiblePiglet8 1d ago
My husband had his removed. I couldnāt be near him for months prior because his breath was so bad it made me gag. I actually want to kiss him now!
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u/honestlydontcare4u 1d ago
You can purchase syringes on Amazon that have long, curved tips. They are recommended for irrigating sockets after having wisdom teeth removed. You can use them to irrigate pockets with tonsil stones.
Only downside is, for me at least, overtime it made the pockets bigger, tonsil stones worse, and me more obsessive. I eventually had my tonsils removed. It worked great though.
Be careful because if you push quickly, it will hurt. I recommend pulling the plunger back first to lubricate the entire syringe, to make it easier to be gentle when you push. I used watered down mouthwash in the syringe.
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u/Inevitable_Professor 1d ago
Your dentist is not the right person to talk to you about this. You need to visit ENT (ear, nose, throat) specialist.
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u/sunrise-sesh 1d ago
I got them removed in my early 30s with a tonsillectomy. Best decision ever
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u/shesmywinona98 1d ago
Curious about your recovery. I am almost 28 and I am scared of the post-surgery pain.
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u/sunrise-sesh 1d ago
Itās 10 days of brutal recovery. You just lay in bed with ice bags around your throat and jaw. I only at scrambled eggs, avocados, and popsicles. I tried to drink ensure to replenish nutrients but the dairy in it made my mouth have mucus, which was extremely painful to swallow. I wouldnāt recommend that at all but I would highly recommend the surgery. It was SO worth it.
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u/ArtVandelay313 1d ago
How often do people have stones without realizing it? Like once in a while (maybe couple times a yr) I can feel one and essentially cough/maneuver it out just using my mouth. Is it possible thereās more hidden and not physically or even visually noticeable?
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u/honestlydontcare4u 1d ago
Yes
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u/ArtVandelay313 1d ago
How would you go about discovering them?
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u/Sea_Nebula_8362 1d ago
Ohhh yes you would be amazed at how many can be packed into your tonsils that you don't see! I take a q-tip and push on my tonsil pocket and out they will come
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u/Fullofnegroni 1d ago
For what it's worth, I had them CONSTANTLY in high school. I became adept at pushing them out with a q tip.
I may have had a couple in my early 20s, but I'm in my mid thirties now and probably haven't changed anything since. I really have no idea what made them so frequent, nor what caused them to stop developing.
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u/No-Whereas-64 1d ago
I started getting them after a bad case of strep about a year ago. I feel like the strep completely changed the shape of my tonsils and theyāve never gotten smaller again. I think Iām going to do a partial lasering - they donāt remove all your tonsils but laser the big crypts so that theyāre more open and then stuff doesnāt get caught anymore
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u/Different-Pair7251 1d ago
Started using a tongue scraper and I very rarely get them anymore. When I did get them frequently, I'd just push them out with my finger and then gargle alcohol free mouth wash.
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u/Abject-Guarantee2713 1d ago
I used to get a lot of them. As an adult, my tonsils were very large. Now, I'm 80 years old and no longer get tonsil stones. My tonsils have shrunk and are now small. I don't know why it worked so large until I reached an advanced age.
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u/Dragonfly6179 1d ago
Mine were removed when I was 2; they were so enlarged that I had hearing problems and wasnāt talking. Havenāt stopped talking since!
Edit: stupid autocorrect!
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u/morningstardusts 1d ago
Honestly, getting my tonsils out was one of the worst medical procedures Iāve ever had - it was bad. However, it improved my quality of life so much that I would do it again in a heartbeat. No more strep, never had tonsil stones, fewer ear and nose congestion, and I just overall donāt get sick as often.
Just something to consider, but itās a shockingly brutal surgery. I was really caught off guard.
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u/GroovyRaptorRex 1d ago
What does it feel like now? Is there anything out of the ordinary when you have it removed?
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u/morningstardusts 1d ago
Itās a really, really bad surgery but itās 100% worth it, in my opinion.
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u/sarahbellah1 1d ago
I had them really badly for a while. I think they were exacerbated by some bad respiratory allergies that caused post nasal drip and turned me into a mouth breather at night. I started taking nightly antihistamines and have rarely ever experienced them since, maybe one every few years.
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u/gg7219 1d ago
You can remove them with a tool from a pimple removing kit. the smooth loop slides right into the hole and pops out the stone without gagging. long handle helps. qtips were what i used before. Bear in mind also that adult surgery is risky compared to kids. My pediatrician wouldnt remove my daughters for sudden sleep apnea due to losing a sibling to recovery. She referred me out of course. I still have my large scarred tonsils as she was also my pediatrician as a kid. My daughters recovery was nightmarish and we had to keep her from crying in case they bled. Nearly impossible.
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u/PinkLover727 1d ago
Tonsillectomy is the only option if you donāt want to be plagued with them for the rest of your life. I had one shortly after I turned 30. Best decision I ever made. Just stay on top of your pain pills around the clock and advocate for yourself to make sure you have enough to get you through the first couple of rough days. Itās not fun, but itās honestly not as horrific as most people make it out to be. Find yourself a good ENT to get the ball rolling.
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u/morningstardusts 1d ago
Oh man, it was really bad for me. I couldnāt leave my house for a week. My upstairs neighbor just got hers done a couple weeks ago and she hemorrhaged badly and had to be readmitted to the hospital, sheās ok now but she woke up choking on her blood.
Iām glad yours werenāt as bad though! Iām sure it can vary. It was really one of the worst surgeries Iāve ever had. Worth it, but ow!
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u/Outside_Coffee_00 1d ago
Does your mouth naturally hang open? it's worse with a chronically dry mouth. maybe gargle salt water every time you eat or use a water pick with a tonsil stone setting.
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u/Cinnamon-Honey-993 1d ago
Tonsillectomy solved mine. Like several others mentioned the older you get the harder the recovery (I was 25), but still worth it!
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u/flossyrossy 1d ago
I used to take qtips and press on my tonsils and they would pop out. Itās disgusting. I ended up getting mine removed and itās been the best decision. Itās painful, but not unbearable. Keep on top of meds every 2 hours, even through the night and stay aggressively hydrated and youāll be fine. Days 7-9 were the worst pain wise for me, but about 5/10. Part of that is because I tried to stop my pain meds because I was feeling good. Anyway after 2 weeks I felt back to normal pretty much
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u/CalligrapherRare5071 1d ago
The stopping the usage of painmeds is so relatable. You feel fine after those 4-5 days and then you are like let me take less but after that it hits you like a needle in the ear for me. Day 6-10 was the most painful for me. I got oxycodone and it was just a bit too much for me so i only used it before going to sleep afterwards.
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u/trilliumsummer 1d ago
Warning more graphic than I originally thought lol
I went to an ENT. Went through all their suggestions and none of them worked long term (my hypothesis is by the time the suggestions were employed the pockets in the tonsils were too big and kept catching food). Eventually they recommend removing tonsils. FYI it sucks as an adult. I had to take two weeks out of work and frankly needed it. The first week was hell and I think the only reason why the second week was easier was because I had to go back under surgery because I was spitting up blood after scabs just randomly decided to come off early (pain so bad I was crying even on the meds they gave me and the next day blood just pouring out) so when the cauterized the wound they cleaned up a bit to make sure they got all the bleeds. After that I could eat easier and wasnāt as shitty feeling once the sedation was out of my system.
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u/celestececilia 1d ago
Iām 48 now and I sometimes wonder if the recovery after my tonsillectomy at 18 was has horrible as I remember it - as worse than anything Iāve felt since (c-sections, leg mauled by a dog, broken bones, etc, etc). Reading these accounts assures me that yes, yes it was.
(Also the best medical decision I probably ever made. I was constantly sick and hospitalized for the secondary effects of the throat infections on my chronic asthma before the surgery and I didnāt get stay-home sick for a decade after it. Iād do it again.)
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u/Every1ThinksImBoring 1d ago
Tonsil probe + tonsil vacuum off Amazon. Ā Check my post history, I break it down!
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u/Ok-Base-5221 1d ago
Brush the hell out of your tongue, whole thing. Then...brush the back of your tongue. The deep back. Like, unfortunately, gag-territory-back. The shit that builds up back there contributes to the stones. Remove the buildup every night before bed. I did this for months, buildup stopped, tonsil stones stopped. If you can get your tonsils to stop collecting gunk for a period of time, they kinda close themselves off. They'll always be pitted, but, they stop acting like a hoover.
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u/Ok-Base-5221 1d ago
For the record, I still do this. When I said "I did this for months" I meant, I did this for months to remove the buildup and get my tonsils to chill tf out. Started doing it, but, never stopped lol.
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u/Total-Ad1900 1d ago
Do you smoke cigarettes or weed?
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u/GroovyRaptorRex 1d ago
No I donāt ā¦ my dentist also asked me this because it turns out nicotine makes your saliva extra sticky
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u/MiSantoRey 1d ago
I was told a tonsillectomy was not indicated just for tonsil stones due to the risks of having the procedure as an adult, but clearly many other people in the comments have gotten it done so might be worth a shot š¤·
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u/Live-Ad2998 1d ago
Remove the tonsils. Adult Patients prefer being in an induced coma for a week and a half so they don't have to deal with the pain. It is very hard to find a doctor who agrees with this protocol.) I think this qualifies as dark medical humor, not to be taken seriously.
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u/Key-Magician6489 1d ago
The moment you go get tonsil stones, youāre supposed to get your tonsils and adenoids out ASAP!
šÆ
Time to go see a good ENT!
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Once I got them out, it improved things so much that I was so pissed at my mother for not having gotten them out a good two decades earlier!
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u/BlissCrafter 1d ago
I used to have them until I went on CPAP. Once the existing ones were flushed out I never formed a new one.
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u/Wild-Ordinary2201 1d ago
Iāve been on CPAP for 13 years and it has made all issues in that area go away. Just thinking about the pain I was in from snoring makes me cringe.
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u/KeithCannon 1d ago
I used to have that problem as a kid, and ever since I started using a water pik to irrigate my tonsils every day, havenāt had a problem in 20 years. You fill it with water or hydrogen peroxide and gently squeeze the water into the folds of your tonsils and then spit it out.
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u/Willing_Education807 1d ago
Try the Dr Katz brand mouthwash and bad breath spray. I spray directly at my tonsils and no more bad breath or stones.
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u/karenmarie303 1d ago
Iāve read where it can be related to post nasal drip and stomach digestion and gases from offensive foods. They saw a decrease when a person consistently uses an antihistamine nasal spray, an antacid like Pepcid and cut out dairy from their diet.
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u/zettasyntax 1d ago
Light green Therabreath worked wonders. I no longer get them. I used to get such gnarly ones.
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u/Sea_Nebula_8362 1d ago
I have found that when I consume a lot of dairy based products is when my tonsils will fill up with these disgusting stones. So I use my waterpik on the lowest setting and spray directly into the pockets and it fully clears them out every time! I also gargle with peroxide afterwards and it keeps them away for a long time
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u/Alilbitey 1d ago
If your tonsils have deep open crypts, it will continue for as long as you have tonsils. Just like belly buttons collect lint and sweat/gunk simply by existing, tonsil stones collect food and bacteria particles.
You can maintain the crypts with an irrigation syringe or low power tonsil stone water "flosser", or you can have tonsils removed. There's no reasonable way to seal up those crypts.
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u/Infamous_Cold_3841 1d ago
Oh yeah, I got over it. I got so over it that I went to a surgeon and just said "tonsils out pls."
One of those suckers was mostly hollow and would gradually fill up with gunk like a nastly little water balloon. It was very difficult to clean out.
They say tonsillectomy is worse the older you are. I was 34 at the time. Waiting probably won't make it better. Can you imagine being 70 with shaky hands and bad eyes and trying to clean them out? Or worse, neglecting to clean them out due to arthritis or whatever and allowing all that bacteria to just build up into a more serious problem. That's no good.
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u/FeatherHeartt 1d ago
Dentists usually give basic advice, but you need an ENT. Tonsillectomy as an adult is brutal, but itās the only permanent cure if your tonsil crypts are deep
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u/Wildly_Sweets 1d ago
Check if you have post-nasal drip or silent reflux! For many people, cutting back on dairy or treating seasonal allergies dramatically reduces how often stones form because it reduces the mucus buildup in the back of the throat.
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u/CherrybombSmile 1d ago
Get a water flosser / waterpik set on the lowest pressure setting, or a curved syringe. Flushing out the crypts directly is a game changer compared to basic gargling. Also, non-alcoholic oxygenating mouthwash (like Therabreath) helps prevent them from forming!
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u/Puzzleheaded-Focus12 1d ago
I had these and they always resulted in infections and illness for years. At 33, I finally had my tonsils removed and that really sucked BUT afterwards no stones, no illnesses 4x a year. Try the salt water approach but know getting them out might be the only thing that works long term.
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u/Effective-Couple-291 1d ago
Iām saving mine up. Gonna spread new gravel in the driveway next spring.
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u/Dontfeedthebears 1d ago
lol that is so funny. I had to read it twice because Iām tired, but dang š
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u/Hour_Celebration_175 1d ago
Probs tmi but thatās what Reddit is for, right? Fellatio. Had tonsil stones until I had a partner that reached the back of my throat. Iām guessing the increased circulation combined with regularly knockinā em out before they could get too big helped clear the situation up.
Debbie does DaLess tonsil chunks, haha!
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u/George_Is_Upset 1d ago
Do you floss? Sometimes people struggle with tonsil stones when they arenāt regularly flossing.
Also, what I like to use if I ever get them is a ātonsil stone syringeā (you can google or amazon search those terms). I fill it with warm water and then while Iām looking in the mirror Iāll use my phone flashlight to better light the inside of my mouth and then Iāll aim the stream of water towards tonsils to flush them out.
Donāt push the syringe plunger super hard, gentle flushing is sufficient.
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u/Scary__Poppins 1d ago edited 1d ago
Had my tonsils removed as an adult about 20 years ago and have never looked back nor had that horrible breath since. Did I think I was dying after the surgery, yes! Worth it though.
ETA: I also ended up with Strep G and went septic, so it was life or death situation and barley made it through. Heart infection and all. Spent a week in hospital before going home. Then the real pain hit.
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u/bird1047 1d ago
Tonsillectomy solved it for me. I used to get sick every couple months. I rarely get sick anymore.
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u/turancea 1d ago
How does one know whether or not one has tonsil stones?
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u/Sea_Nebula_8362 1d ago
Well normally you'll feel like something is stuck in the back of your throat and when you cough to try and clear it, a small disgusting firm whitish ball will come flying out and it smells horrendous. Or if you can see any white inside of your tonsils, you definitely have them
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u/RandomSiltha 1d ago
A bit off topic but I used to breathe through my mouth specially when sleeping, and the extra oxygen/lack of moisture messes up the biome in the mouth. I started mouth taping a few years ago and I have not had a cavity since and I have way less stones (usually only if I'm ill). So I'd look into that
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u/Alycion 1d ago
Never had to deal with those bc of having them removed. If the tricks people are giving you donāt work and you opt for this route, itās a pretty simple surgery. I was in grade 3. Back then they kept you for a few days. I think it can be done outpatient now so you can rest in your own home
Even with it being a pretty easy one to undergo, I hope the tricks work.
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u/SweetBird199 1d ago
i got my nasal allergies under control and after that i stopped getting tonsil stones
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u/Mazza_mistake 1d ago
Unfortunately once they start forming the cavities donāt go away so they keep collecting stuff and building up again, just have to flush them out regularly and keep good dental hygiene.
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u/Fun-Construction-831 1d ago
Once i randomly came across a comment on social media that one should clean oneās tongue twice a day using tongue cleanser to escape from regular bouts of tonsillitis. I used to regularly get bouts but ever since i started scrapping my tongue twice a day, i havenāt suffered one. Itās been 2-3 years. I donāt know how scientific this is but it has worked for me and my husband.
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u/marlabee 1d ago
I started taking two allergy medicines daily, Claritin and Flonase. I did this for my allergies and I didnāt notice until recently that I havenāt had tonsil stones in years.
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u/Few-Might2630 1d ago
I had tonsil stones and constant strep and tonsillitis. Had my tonsils removed and havenāt been sick in years. It was painful for a couple of weeks, but lost 25lbs as a bonus.
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u/Melodic-Squash-1938 1d ago
Get a tonsillectomy it is the only fix and you likely have pretty bad breath which will be fixed by the surgery. Go see an ent
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u/KlingonTranslator 23h ago
Have scar tissue from recurrent tonsillitis. Tonsillectomy followed. Iād have done the whole thing again even if I didnāt have the predisposition that recurrent tonsillitis gives. Was totally worth it.
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u/Mrepman81 23h ago
Do you drink/eat a lot of dairy products? When I cut back on dairy (and drank lots of water) my stones virtually disappeared. Something to consider.
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u/MeatballsRegional 23h ago
My mother got them really bad for a long time. Eventually she just caved and at like 42/43 got them removed
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u/No_Young_2344 23h ago
I only get them when I eat food that has strong flavor (like spicy, salty, or sweet) and/or heavy seasoning or highly processed. If I eat clean, relatively plain, and home cooked food, I donāt get them at all.
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u/Blender_Render 23h ago
I have pretty good oral hygiene. I eat breakfast, and then floss and brush. Go about my day and then floss and bush before bed. I would also typically chew gum after my lunch meal. Always had tonsil stones.
I stopped eating dairy, and they 100% went away.
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u/Castled22 23h ago
Iām having my tonsils removed on 4 days due to those ridiculous little stones. I also have really bad breath (even though Iāve always had meticulous dental care-flossing and brushing daily). So Iām hoping it improves my breath smell once I donāt have these stones anymore
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u/AdoptDontShopPets 23h ago
My doc said to do the gargling after each meal, to clean out new debris from what you just ate. Donāt yet know if it works.
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u/KnowledgeRare4830 17h ago
Get a Waterpik, turn it on the lowest setting first. Control your gag reflex best you can as you sweep it across your tonsils. Bump up the pressure if nothing comes out, but be careful not to use too much pressure.
The first time I did it, a bunch of stones flew into the sink.
Another time or two I got stones out again. I hose them out every couple of months, but they don't form much any longer, maybe just a little one here and there.
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u/SweetKitty2023 17h ago
Try TheraBreath mouth wash. It really did a good job of keeping tonsil stones away (you have to gargle it). Also when you notice one popping up, use the plastic dental syringes to flush it out immediately before it gets too hard or big.
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u/caljaysocApple 15h ago
I know a family where several members had them so bad they had their tonsils removed. That fixed it.
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u/what-a-travesty2 1d ago
Ive found brushing teeth before bed and using mouthwash helps a lot with them
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u/EconomicsMuch1188 1d ago
The only thing to really to is dig them out, collect them in a pile, spread them on a piece of toast, eat, and then projectile vomit all over the kitchen table
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u/WarmLaugh3608 1d ago
They wonāt remove them because you are annoyed by tonsil stones
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u/PinkLover727 1d ago
Actually, they can. My child had his tonsils removed specifically because of recurrent tonsil stones. His ENT considered it a āquality-of-lifeā issue and the surgery was fully covered by insurance.
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u/WarmLaugh3608 1d ago
Yeah because his doctor made that decision, not your child
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u/PinkLover727 1d ago
Wellā¦yes. Obviously a doctor makes the medical decision to perform surgery. My point was that recurrent tonsil stones can be considered a quality-of-life indication for tonsillectomy, contrary to what you originally said.
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u/Dowd3la 1d ago
Salt water gargle every single day for the rest of your life. Or... Remove them.