Removing Tonsil Stones: A Step-by-Step Guide

Tonsil stones are small, gray-white accumulations in the crypts of the tonsils. Food debris remains in the crypts and becomes food for bacteria, which digest it and turn it into the smelly mush that we all know and hate: tonsil stones. People with deep crypts are prone to developing tonsil stones. They usually fall off when coughing and eating and generally don’t require treatment or home care, but there are ways to get rid of them and prevent them from coming back.

Use Cotton Swab to Remove

Prepare cotton swabs and other necessary things:

  • Cotton swab
  • Toothbrush
  • Mirror
  • A flashlight, a flashlight app, or a light that can be used to shine light into your mouth
  • Tap water

Shine light into your throat. Open your mouth and shine light into your mouth. Do this in front of a mirror to help you find tonsil stones.

Stick out your tongue while closing or contracting your throat muscles. Make an “ah” sound and tighten the muscles at the base of your throat. At the same time, hold your breath as if you were gargling your mouth. This will push the tonsils forward, allowing you to see better.

Turn on the faucet and wet the cotton swab to soften it and reduce irritation to your throat. Don’t put down the swab to avoid contamination with bacteria. Minimize contact between the swab and any germ-laden surfaces, including your hands. To remove stones, shake them out of the sink or onto a clean paper towel. Do not let the cotton swab touch any surface.

  • If the swab accidentally hits the sink or countertop, be sure to replace it with a new one.

Use a cotton swab to gently poke the stone. Press or poke the stone until it falls away. Use a cotton swab to push it out of your mouth.

  • The movement should be very gentle, otherwise it will cause bleeding easily. A little bleeding is normal, but it should be avoided as much as possible. The bacteria that cause tonsil stones may infect wounds.
  • In case of bleeding, flush with water immediately. As soon as the bleeding stops, brush your teeth and clean your tongue.

Rinse with water and repeat. Rinse your mouth with water and move on to the next stone. Sometimes after poking the throat, the saliva will become sticky. At this time, it is especially necessary to rinse the mouth with water. If your saliva becomes sticky, drink water to dilute it.

Check for any hidden stones. After removing all visible stones, place your thumb on the neck area under the chin, insert your clean index finger into the mouth, until next to the tonsils, and gently squeeze out the remaining stones like squeezing out toothpaste.

Carefully remove stubborn stones. If there is a stone that cannot be popped out with a cotton swab, it may be stuck in a particularly deep place. Do not force it out as this may cause bleeding. Use the back of a toothbrush to push gently until the stones are loose, then use a cotton swab or toothbrush to remove them.

  • If the stone still doesn’t come off, rinse your mouth with mouthwash for a few days and try again.
  • If that doesn’t work, try an oral irrigator. If that doesn’t help, try increasing the flow of water slightly.
  • Some people have a gag reflex that is too strong to tolerate having their throats poked.

Use an Oral Irrigator

Purchase an oral irrigator. Oral irrigators, such as dental irrigators, can flush tonsil stones out of their crypts.

  • Before buying, simply try it on your tonsils. If the jet of water is too strong and painful, it cannot be used to remove stones.

Run the flusher at the lowest water pressure level. Place the irrigator into your mouth without touching the stone. Start the flusher with the lowest water pressure. Aim the water at a visible stone and let the water flow steadily until the stone falls off.

Use a cotton swab or toothbrush to help remove the stones. If the irrigator loosens the stone but doesn’t come off completely, you can alternate between using the irrigator and a cotton swab or the back of a toothbrush.

  • Repeat the above steps to remove every visible tonsil stone. When flushing out stones with water, be sure to be gentle.

Remove and Prevent Stones by Rinsing Your Mouth

After eating, rinse your mouth with mouthwash. Stones often form from food particles lodged in tonsillar crypts, so it’s wise to rinse your mouth after eating. Rinsing your mouth not only improves the health of your teeth and gums, it also removes food particles that can become food for bacteria and form tonsil stones.

  • Be sure to use an alcohol-free mouthwash.

Rinse your mouth with warm water and salt. Pour 1 teaspoon salt into 180ml water and stir until dissolved. Tilt your head back and rinse your mouth with salt water. Sometimes tonsil stones can cause tonsillitis. In addition to dislodging food debris from the crypts, gargling with salt water can also help relieve the discomfort caused by tonsillitis.

Purchase an oxygenated mouthwash. They contain chlorine dioxide and natural zinc compounds. Oxygen itself blocks bacterial growth, so oxygenated mouthwash can help treat and prevent tonsil stones.

  • Oxygenated mouthwash is very strong and should only be used once or twice a week to avoid overuse. Mainly use natural mouthwash, supplemented by oxygenated mouthwash.

Medical Intervention

Discuss tonsillectomy surgery with your doctor. This is a fairly simple and effective surgery. The risks are fairly low, the recovery period is short, and the most common post-operative problems are sore throat and minor bleeding.

  • If your doctor is concerned about your medical history, age, or other factors, he may recommend other treatment options.
  • Only if tonsil stones keep recurring, are very stubborn, or are complex will your doctor recommend tonsillectomy surgery.
  • You can also ask your doctor to remove tonsil stones. Your doctor may be able to remove them using special irrigation equipment.

If tonsil stones persist or are severe, consider a course of antibiotics. Doctors may treat tonsil stones with different antibiotics, such as penicillin or erythromycin, but they do not address the underlying cause of tonsil stones, which are food particles lodged in the tonsils. So relapses can still occur later, and antibiotics can cause unwanted side effects. The good bacteria in your mouth help fight bad bacteria, but most antibiotics kill them too.

Ask your doctor about laser treatment. Stones hidden deep in the crypts can be removed with a laser. Laser resurfacing can smooth the surface of the tonsils and eliminate the need for crypts. However, this treatment comes with certain risks.