Tonsilloliths, otherwise known as tonsil stones, are tiny, yellow-white globs that become trapped in the back of the throat or in the tonsils. They are irregular-shaped and consist of mucus and bacteria, which can give off a foul smelling odor. When they become trapped in the small pockets of skin that line the tonsils, they can cause some very bad breath.
In the past, many dentists have mistakenly told their patients that these were nothing more than food particles that had been trapped by the tonsils. While there is no actual risks associated with them, the last thing you want to do is cough them up out of your throat and at inconvenient time. Not only that, if you were to break one, the odor would be unbearable to anyone around you.
As they happen to people who never had tonsils taken out, the majority of those who have them immediately want a tonsillectomy. This, however, is not a solution as removing tonsils in an adult can be risky. Therefore, any good physician is not going to take that particular risk because you do not like the bad breath or odor that is caused by them.
Fortunately, you can take care of them without surgically removing the tonsils. As the stone is made up of bacteria and sulfur compounds, many of the oral products you can find on the market will kill the bacteria, such as mouthwashes and oxygenating toothpastes. Many people have found a tongue scraper can also be effective in removing them, as well as cotton swabs. However, if they are difficult to remove and bothersome, you may consider undergoing a laser-type surgery to help smooth out the surface of the tonsils.
Even though the tonsil stones can be considered a nasty thing to deal with, the fact is, they will not harm you. Besides the odor, they are risk-free. However, if you find they are making you cough continuously or you can not take the bad breath they cause, you can treat them. It may take a little time to get rid of them, but once they are gone, you can take some precautions to make sure they stay away. One method is to keep your body hydrated by drinking more water. This will make sure than the substances do not have a chance to get trapped and will slip right past your well-hydrated tonsils.
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