How To Remove Tonsil Stones at Home

Learning how to remove tonsil stones at home can help save you thousands of dollars compared to if you were to go through with a surgical procedure like cryptolysis, curettage, or tonsillectomy.

The problem most people have when removing tonsil stones is they have a hard time preventing the problem from returning. These small, abnormal shaped stones can cause the sufferer a lot of embarrassment. Just imagine having to constantly cough these stones up daily and walking around with a foul smelling odor coming from your mouth.

What Causes Tonsil Stones to Develop

Mucus, food particles, dead cells, calcium, and other substances are what causes tonsil stones, as they accumulate in the crevices of your tonsils and forms tonsil stones. People who have sinus problems, allergies, dry mouth, or a weak pH level are vulnerable to experience recurring tonsilloliths.

How Do You Discover Them

Most people discover their tonsil stones when they take a look in the mirror and see a white looking substance at the back of their throat. Sometimes it takes a dentist to notice the stones when they are taking a look inside the person’s mouth for an unrelated reason.

When you notice you have stones in your mouth you should immediately try to remove them. Often times you can remove tonsil stones at home without having to seek medical help. The only time it’s highly recommended you seek medical attention is if the tonsil stones are very large, which is rare.

A lot of people have tonsil stones but they are so small that they don’t bother them. If yours are noticeable and you want them removed check out these 5 methods that can help you remove them at your house.

How To Remove Tonsil Stones at Home

Cotton Swab

Using a cotton swab is the most common tonsil stones removal method at home.

• Get in front of a mirror and use a flashlight in your opened mouth to see the stones at the back of your mouth clearly.
• What you’ll need to do is use the cotton swab to put some pressure on the lower part of the stones in you want removed.
• Before you use the cotton swab wet the ends of it so that it can penetrate the tonsils a lot easier.
• After you loosen up the stones you can then remove them slowly and gargle your mouth with some mouthwash to make sure you get out any small traces of the stones.

This method is effective but it won’t stop the problem from returning.

Toothbrush

You will need to get a soft bristle toothbrush to remove the the stones out your mouth. Use the toothbrush the same way you would use the cotton swab.

• All you need to do is take your time and apply some pressure on the stones at the lower part until they are loosened.
• Once the stones have been dislodged from your tonsils use some mouthwash to gargle and spit them out.

You could also use an electric toothbrush to loosen up and remove your tonsil stones.

• Switch the toothbrush on and apply the backside of the vibrating toothbrush around the areas where you have the stones. The vibrations will knock out the stones and break them up.
• Make sure you avoid biting down on the stones, as this can release more foul odor into your mouth.

Oral Irrigator

Oral Irrigator are dental tools that are commonly used to help remove plaque and food particles from the teeth. You can use the stream of water these tools shoot out to cautiously knock out the stones from your tonsils.

• The first thing you’ll need to do is fill up the oral irrigator with a little bit of warm water.
• Now stand in front of a mirror with your mouth wide open and use a flashlight so you can see exactly where the stones are.
• Make sure your irrigator is at the lowest level possible before you start using it so you can prevent the tonsils from bleeding and getting infected.
• With the machine on the lowest setting take your time and apply the stream of water around the crevices in your tonsils.
• Once the stones get dislodged take some mouthwash and gargle it and spit out the rest of the stones.

Salt Water Gargle

Gargling salt water is one of the most commonly used ways to remove tonsil stones at home. When you gargle salt water it will not only help remove the stones but the salt water solution will also help give you some relief from any discomfort the stones where causing you.

• First you will need to get together some regular table salt (iodized salt) and a cup of warm water (8 ounces).
• Now add a half a teaspoon to a teaspoon to the cup of warm water.
• Mix up the solution and then begin gargling the water and spitting out the stones until all of them are removed.

The fizz from the small bubbles produced by the salt water solution will eat away at the stones until they are easily removed. If you experience tonsil stones regularly you can gargle salt water after each of your meals to help prevent the stones from returning.

Bobby Pin

You can use a bobby pin to remove tonsil stones just like you would with a cotton swab.

• First you will need to use some rubbing alcohol on the bobby pin to make sure it’s disinfected before putting it in your mouth. The last thing you want to do is make the problem worse by causing an infection around your tonsils.
• Stand in front of a mirror.
• Use a flashlight to shine some light towards the back of your throat so you can see the stones clearly.
• Take the round end of the bobby pin and start picking at the lower portion of your stones.
• Make sure you apply a little pressure and release repeatedly.
• After pushing on the stones for a little while they should fall right out.

Prevention

Now that you know how to remove tonsil stones at home it’s important to learn how to prevent them. It does you know good to remove stones from your tonsils if they are just going to come back again and again.

Of course, these simple methods will help you get relief from the problem quickly, but you need to take some preventative measures. In order to prevent tonsil stones you’ll need to practice good oral hygiene so that bacteria doesn’t build up in the crevices where your tonsils are located.

Brush your teeth and floss them regularly, use mouthwash, and use a tongue scraper to remove bacteria from the back of your tongue. Also, drink a lot of water because dry mouth is a common tonsil stone cause. When your mouth is dry there isn’t enough saliva flowing around to help keep your mouth sanitized.