How To Get Rid Of Tonsil Stones
If you ever see small, white lumps on the tonsils in the back of your throat, you can be sure that you’ve got tonsilloliths, otherwise known as tonsil stones. Whilst looking pretty nasty, these can also be a major cause of bad breath so should be dealt with as soon as possible. Knowing how to get rid of tonsil stones isn’t common knowledge. Here are a few ideas that can really work.
So just what are tonsilloliths? They are actually small clusters of material that settle in the tonsil crevices. This accumulation contains sulphur compounds, mucus from post-nasal drip and calcium amongst other pleasant substances! They have the appearance of a small white ball or stone lodged in throat area and are easy to spot with a mirror.
Now although they are not actually harmful or even painful, many people want to know how to get rid of tonsil stones because they can cause horrible halitosis, which is not nice for those around you nor any good for self-esteem. This is a direct result of the sulphur compounds combining with the anaerobic bacteria present in the mouth, particularly under the tongue.
There are a few options for treatment, ranging from the straightforward to actual surgery. The best starting point is to use an oral irrigator, the equivalent of a fireman’s hose for your mouth. This device, which is also great for removing plaque and food debris from between teeth, is a good start in knowing how to get rid of tonsil stones. If you have never used one of these, it is important to start at a low pressure in order to avoid damaging the tonsils themselves. They often attach directly to the sink tap, making them easy to use for anybody.
If this doesn’t do the trick, scraping them away (known in medical circles as curettage) is also possible. Some people even do this at home with a Q-tip (or your tongue if you can avoid the gag reflex), but this is not always a good idea. Getting a doctor to have a look is wise if you’re interested in this method.
With both of these two tricks, it is important to make sure that oral hygiene is respected. Washing the mouth out with a saline solution after attempting to remove stones can be a good idea for example.
A more modern treatment would be laser removal. This procedure is obviously a more radical solution given that it involves a local anaesthetic. The laser flattens the surface of the tonsils and particularly the edges of the tonsil crypts, which should prevent debris from settling and eventually forming into stones.
Whilst tonsilloliths are hardly a life-threatening condition, they can be unsightly and make life less than pleasant for the sufferer. Nobody likes to have bad breath and unless you know how to get rid of tonsil stones, halitosis is a likely result. Working through these steps from home measures to surgery if necessary should ensure that this problem can be treated as quickly as possible.
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How To Prevent Tonsil Stones
If you have ever suffered from tonsil stones then you’ll know just how unpleasant they can be. There are various treatment options out there, but if you are looking to prevent tonsil stones then you need to act before noticing any of the tonsil stone symptoms. So just what exactly can you do and how do you know if you have a problem?
Tonsil stones are small, white balls of foul-smelling material that collect in the back of the throat. They are often visible as white bumps that stick out from the folds of the tonsils themselves. They have a few side effects, but the really aggravating one for most people is the terrible halitosis that they cause.
The micro-organisms in the tonsilloliths combine with bacteria present in the mouth (particularly under the surface of the tongue) to create some strong-smelling sulphur-releasing compounds. If someone has commented on your bad breath, tonsil stones could be the reason.
Preventing tonsil stones is all about good oral hygiene. One possible component of the stone can be small particles of waste food. So if you want to prevent tonsil stones from forming at all, it makes sense to make sure you don’t have any food left in your mouth. So how do you do this?
There are three or four simple measures that you should be taking every day. The first is brushing after meal. Taking those three minutes to really brush properly is essential. Use a quality toothbrush and toothpaste that is recommended by your dentist. Pay particular attention to the back of the mouth because this is where those particles tend to lurk.
The next step is to follow up your brushing with flossing. This is an easy thing to do and there are now a lot of clinical studies pointing to the benefits not just for your mouth, but even potentially for your heart health. Again, this doesn’t take long and can be part of your daily routine.
The third part of this oral hygiene program is also an important one in how to prevent tonsil stones. You need to use a mouth wash after flossing. Although they are many products on the market, simple is often best. Washing with salt water is fine and keeps everything nice and sterile. Some people prefer to use a product that also contains natural essences. It is wise to avoid anything that is alcohol based because it can destroy the natural balance in your mouth and leave the way open to bad bacteria.
These three steps are probably enough to prevent tonsil stones in most cases, but if you really want to be sure, you could invest in a water pik. This clever little device fires a high pressure jet of water into the mouth and is perfect for removing any remaining food particles. It has the added advantage that it can be used for actually removing the tonsil stone itself. It can be a little tricky to get used to doing this however, and you want to be careful not to turn up the pressure too much the first time that you try.
Following these simple steps will make a big difference in the battle to prevent tonsil stones. As an added bonus, they will keep your breath fresh and make sure your oral hygiene is excellent.
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