# I cannot get rid of this one tonsil stone (TMI) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 21, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421 "2012-03-21T16:57:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/41 "2012-04-02T15:29:30Z")
BTW, I did eventually get it out. I waited another few days until it was even bigger, and then had my SO poke it again. We had a bit of an easier time, and this time it came out. Of course I swallowed it by accident since it’s so far back. YUCK. Who cares though? It’s gone and I don’t feel that constant pressure anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/42 "2012-04-03T00:43:09Z")
How do you know you have a small mouth? Does it look small? Do dentists nag you? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![pudytat72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@pudytat72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pudytat72)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/43 "2012-04-03T03:29:47Z")
One way to get your tongue under control is to take a spoon and turn it over and put it inside your mouth over your tongue. Then you can push the tongue down and out of the way. (I did this as a kid when spraying nasty tasting throat spray at the back of my throat-kept the tongue out of the way and kept the nasty taste off of my tongue.) I also used the spoon at times to put pressure on the tonsil to pop out the tonsil stones. Had my tonsils out at age 21-really made a difference! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/44 "2012-04-03T13:22:28Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > How do you know you have a small mouth? Does it look small? Do dentists nag you? 😕 They don’t nag me, but they have told me before as such. I had all four of my wisdom teeth come in at once, early, and the dentist did comment that my mouth was “unusually small”. Plus, I can just tell. It looks small, yes, and my tongue is fairly short-ish, too. I will try the spoon trick, pudytat72 ---
**Author:** ![randomface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@randomface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomface)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/45 "2012-04-03T15:20:51Z")
Before I had my tonsils out, I once got desperate enough to use chopsticks to pry them out. The metal flatware ones work really well as long as you don’t poke yourself too hard. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/46 "2012-04-03T17:49:09Z")
Tonsillectomy time. Seriously - why would you live with this? I had mine out for much smaller stones. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/47 "2012-04-03T18:14:10Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Tonsillectomy time. Seriously - why would you live with this? I had mine out for much smaller stones. Because they can be dangerous for adults, and some time about the mid 60s they pretty much stopped doing them on a majority of kids. Dang it. My brother had his out, and the doc wouldn’t yank mine, and I have suffered innumerable tonsilliths, sore throats, bouts of badly swollen tonsils with ragingly sore throats … _grrrrrr_:mad: ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/48 "2012-04-03T18:15:43Z")
Fishing lures are good for removing them. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/49 "2012-04-03T18:38:23Z")
How is it that I’ve gotten this far in life without ever having even heard of these things, yet here are all these people talking as if they’re a common everyday occurence? 😕 (Yes, I still have my tonsils.) ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/50 "2012-04-03T18:39:36Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Tonsillectomy time. Seriously - why would you live with this? I had mine out for much smaller stones. I don’t think it’s worth it. I mean, I can deal. It’s not worth it to get major surgery and get a piece cut of me that other than this is working just fine. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/51 "2012-04-03T19:07:05Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > How is it that I’ve gotten this far in life without ever having even heard of these things, yet here are all these people talking as if they’re a common everyday occurence? 😕 (Yes, I still have my tonsils.) I think some people just don’t get them, but many people are not aware of the ones they have. They’re difficult to spot without a flashlight and mirror. Some of the crypts (where tonsilloliths form) are hidden behind the tonsils themselves or behind ridges in the mouth/throat. When you have one coming out, it often just feels like you have a mild sore throat or your “glands are swollen.” All that is to say, you are much more aware of them if you know such a thing exists and you check for them when you think you might have one. They tend to work themselves out without intervention, so in a way it can be better not to know. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/52 "2012-04-03T19:15:29Z")
Honestly, I found myself checking the date of this thread to make sure it wasn’t some kind of April fool thing. In any case, Google quickly put that notion to rest. Chopsticks? Fishing lures? (With the hook? :eek:) Seriously? I always thought tonsils were further down in the throat or something. I had no idea they were visible with a mirror and a flashlight. I guess I know what I’ll be doing tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/53 "2012-04-03T20:14:36Z")
I’ve only had one once, for a week or more, and it was awful. I finally was able to scrape it off with a popsicle stick. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/54 "2012-04-03T22:09:06Z")
I never have any trouble getting them out, and mine are usually small. But the smell. O.M.G. Those of you who have never had the experience should thank your lucky stars. “Stank” indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/55 "2012-04-03T23:58:11Z")
Okay, NOW I know why I still have a sore throat twelve days after the cold started. That isn’t pus on my tonsils, those are two tonsil stones. How annoying! I just ordered two oral irrigators from Amazon, but seriously, do these things all eventually work their way out on their own? I’m 31 and this is the first time I’ve knowingly had this problem. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/56 "2012-04-04T00:23:42Z")
Okay. I’m seeing two white spots, one on each side, similar to what’s shown here but not as big: (Warning: disgusting picture of the inside of a mouth) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tonsilar\_Crypt\_Tonsillolith.jpg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tonsilar_Crypt_Tonsillolith.jpg) So, I should be trying to remove these? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![breezman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@breezman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breezman)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/57 "2012-04-04T02:22:40Z")
I feel compelled to share links to popthatzit’s [page on tonsil stones](http://www.popthatzit.com/category/tonsil-stones/), and in particular [this video.](http://www.popthatzit.com/2011/11/tonsil-stones-yall/) ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/58 "2012-04-04T02:32:15Z")
> [@breezman](#): > > I feel compelled to share links to popthatzit’s [page on tonsil stones](http://www.popthatzit.com/category/tonsil-stones/), and in particular [this video.](http://www.popthatzit.com/2011/11/tonsil-stones-yall/) Is that… I hate to even say it… a page for tonsil stone… fetishists? Some of those comments… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Shawn\_K\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Shawn\_K\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shawn_K_1)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/59 "2012-04-04T04:18:30Z")
Personally I’d rather know if there’s anything resembling a cure. I get these all the time although not generally to huge. It’d be nice to not have to clean my tonsils out all the time but there doesn’t seem to be a general consensus on the cause or cure. Some people say it’s from post nasal drip/sinus problems (I can kind of believe that, I never had a problem with tonsil stones until I started to have sinus problems), others say it’s food particles only. I’ve tried gargling with Grape Seed Extract (didn’t work), mild antiseptics (didn’t work), flushing the crypts (didn’t work). There’s a ton of websites that offer to fix it with their “special cure, online book” for X amount of dollars but they look like scams by and large. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/60 "2012-04-04T04:28:51Z")
I’m with davidm. I had no idea this was a thing and now I’ve gone all paranoid, poking at my mouth and casting nervous glances in the direction of what I think are my tonsils. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421.md?page=4)