# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/61 "2012-04-04T04:48:59Z")
Wow. Learn something new every day. Never heard of tonsil stones until today! Are they a hereditary tendency, maybe? Really don’t want to google… ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/62 "2012-04-04T13:28:14Z")
I never had any problems with them until my late twenties or early thirties. I asked my dentist and he told me what they were, and said some people could do a trick in the chair of popping them out. I have no hope of doing that because of the aforementioned problems. I don’t think there’s any cure short of removing the crypts; i.e., removing the tonsils. They do eventually work their way out on their own - when they get big enough. And you can avoid the smell if you just don’t break it up. If you can get it out of the crypt whole, it doesn’t smell nearly as bad. If it breaks…all bets are off. ---
**Author:** ![920Tyler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/9/4af34b/32.png) [@920Tyler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/920Tyler)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/63 "2012-11-04T12:26:59Z")
> [@ColdPhoenix](#): > > I’ve never heard of these things but they sound gross. > > A part of me would kind of like to have one just once so I can extract it. I imagine it could be even more satisfying than popping of a big spot (zit). I can say this without a bit of hesitation. YOU NEVER want to experience what I’m experiencing now. I been up all night researching how to get this little bastard out my mouth. I JUST CAN’T. It’s literally lodged in my upper throat and is extremely frustrating. I wish I could just cut my neck off and get it out then put my neck back on my shoulders. I have 1 on each side and can’t get to them because a genius from above came up with the “Gag Reflex” idea. _Gun Cock_ (SHOOT!)… ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2012, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/64 "2012-11-04T18:11:25Z")
How did he type “shoot” after he shot himself? ---
**Author:** ![butterprint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@butterprint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butterprint)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/65 "2013-03-13T04:42:49Z")
I had to chime in since I get tonsil stones ALL the time. They’re really annoying, it feels like when you’re eating popcorn and a kernel shell gets suctioned onto the back of your tongue and you can feel it when you swallow… Anyway, I have a super sensitive gag reflex, I can’t stick anything back there like a toothbrush or a q-tip. The best way I’ve always found to get a stone out is to go to my kitchen sink, turn the water on full blast, and I use the sink hose as a sort of water pik. I shoot it straight into the back of my mouth, with my tongue blocking my throat the way it would at the dentist. It works like a charm every time, the blast of water from the kitchen hose knocks it right out. I just will say, I’ve learned to disinfect the kitchen hose before doing this–I’ve done it MANY times–but one time I gave myself an infection of tonsillitis after doing it. So now I always disinfect the nozzle of the hose before doing this. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/66 "2013-03-13T13:20:33Z")
I was wondering when I saw this thread again! Thanks for the update. How the hell do you get your head under the sink in the right angle? You mean the sprayer? You shoot the sprayer down your throat? This is getting more and more indiscreet. ---
**Author:** ![llcoolbj77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@llcoolbj77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/llcoolbj77)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/67 "2013-03-13T15:37:40Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Tonsillectomy time. Seriously - why would you live with this? I had mine out for much smaller stones. I have the opportunity to get mine out. Repeated tonsilitis, and gross stones. Should I do it? The ENT said she would OK the procedure for me, but warned that in adults, the pain afterwards is awful. I’m a trial attorney so I have to talk for a living. I would obviously have to take atleast a week off for recovery, yes? ---
**Author:** ![I\_Like\_Pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@I\_Like\_Pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Like_Pie)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/68 "2013-03-13T16:06:01Z")
[These](http://www.amazon.com/Tweezerman-Point-Tweezer-Signature-Red/dp/B000WI028U/ref=sr_1_22?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1363190634&sr=1-22&keywords=pointed+tip+tweezers) work wonders. Really, any pointed tip tweezers. I’ve had tonsil stones since my early twenties. My dr said whenever I’m ready to have my tonsils out, just let him know. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/69 "2013-03-13T17:28:42Z")
> [@I\_Like\_Pie](#): > > [These](http://www.amazon.com/Tweezerman-Point-Tweezer-Signature-Red/dp/B000WI028U/ref=sr_1_22?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1363190634&sr=1-22&keywords=pointed+tip+tweezers) work wonders. Really, any pointed tip tweezers. I’ve had tonsil stones since my early twenties. My dr said whenever I’m ready to have my tonsils out, just let him know. 😕 Looks like a recipe for bleeding tonsils. You don’t bleed when you use something that pointy? I sure do! I think I posted earlier in this thread, but I find that a plastic syringe works well. Squirt water at the stone and it will often come right out. You can often get them free from pharmacies if you ask. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/70 "2013-03-13T18:30:00Z")
Yeah I took one look at those and thought “no way I’m sticking that down my throat.” One twitch and suddenly I have open wounds in my mouth. Bleh. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/71 "2013-03-13T18:48:59Z")
> [@llcoolbj77](#): > > I have the opportunity to get mine out. Repeated tonsilitis, and gross stones. Should I do it? The ENT said she would OK the procedure for me, but warned that in adults, the pain afterwards is awful. > > I’m a trial attorney so I have to talk for a living. I would obviously have to take at least a week off for recovery, yes? Recovery was seriously very much not fun; I would counsel at least two weeks before any trial dates. I would say only 1-2 days before you could be doing research and prep from home. For me, I needed to keep my mind busy, but was weak because I couldn’t eat properly. But keep in mind that this is planned time off. Each one of those stones is pus from an infection. It’s only a matter of time before you get a really agressive bacteria in there and one goes septic. Do you really want that to happen the day before you are scheduled to be in court? ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/72 "2013-03-13T19:06:27Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Each one of those stones is pus from an infection. It’s only a matter of time before you get a really agressive bacteria in there and one goes septic. Can you provide a cite for these claims? This goes against my understanding of the composition and prognosis of tonsilloliths. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Like\_Pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@I\_Like\_Pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Like_Pie)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/73 "2013-03-13T19:57:00Z")
> [@awldune](#): > > 😕 Looks like a recipe for bleeding tonsils. You don’t bleed when you use something that pointy? I sure do! > [@Anaamika](#): > > Yeah I took one look at those and thought “no way I’m sticking that down my throat.” One twitch and suddenly I have open wounds in my mouth. Bleh. Ok, so those are a little pointy. I just did a basic search for “pointed tip tweezers” and posted a link. Mine are significantly rounded on the ends. They work great for grasping and extracting. Just make sure you disinfect before and after using! ---
**Author:** ![I\_Like\_Pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@I\_Like\_Pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Like_Pie)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/74 "2013-03-13T19:59:32Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Each one of those stones is pus from an infection. It’s only a matter of time before you get a really agressive bacteria in there and one goes septic. [Not really](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsillolith) “…are clusters of calcified material that form in the crevices of the tonsils…They are composed mostly of calcium, but may contain other minerals such as phosphorus and magnesium, as well as ammonia and carbonate.” ---
**Author:** ![llcoolbj77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@llcoolbj77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/llcoolbj77)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2013, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/75 "2013-03-13T20:55:55Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Recovery was seriously very much not fun; I would counsel at least two weeks before any trial dates. I would say only 1-2 days before you could be doing research and prep from home. For me, I needed to keep my mind busy, but was weak because I couldn’t eat properly. > > But keep in mind that this is planned time off. Each one of those stones is pus from an infection. It’s only a matter of time before you get a really agressive bacteria in there and one goes septic. Do you really want that to happen the day before you are scheduled to be in court? Very true… and I am out atleast four times a year with some form of tonsilitis or other. The stones are mostly just nasty and suck. I thought the recovery from getting my wisdom teeth out was a breeze, and needed no pain killers. Maybe I will go ahead and schedule it. ---
**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:** [March 14, 2013, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/76 "2013-03-14T05:57:54Z")
> [@I\_Like\_Pie](#): > > [Not really](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsillolith) > “…are clusters of calcified material that form in the crevices of the tonsils…They are composed mostly of calcium, but may contain other minerals such as phosphorus and magnesium, as well as ammonia and carbonate.” From your cite: > [@](#): > > [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Gray1027.png/220px-Gray1027.png](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gray1027.png) [http://bits.wikimedia.org/static-1.21wmf10/skins/common/images/magnify-clip.png](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gray1027.png) > Low-power microscope magnification of a cross-section through one of the tonsillar crypts (running diagonally) as it opens onto the surface of the throat (at the top). Stratified [epithelium](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epithelium) (e) covers the throat’s surface and continues as a lining of the crypt. Beneath the surface are numerous nodules (f) of [lymphoid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphoid) tissue. Many lymph cells (dark-colored region) pass from the nodules toward the surface and will eventually mix with the [saliva](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saliva) as salivary corpuscles (s). > > The mechanism by which these calculi form is subject to debate,[[1]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsillolith#cite_note-Ram04-1) though they appear to result from the accumulation of material retained within the crypts\*\*, along with the growth of bacteria and fungi – sometimes in association with persistent chronic purulent **[tonsillitis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsillitis)**.\*\* > > Recently, an association between [biofilms](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofilms) and tonsilloliths was shown. Central to the biofilm concept is the assumption that bacteria form a three dimensional structure; dormant bacteria being in the center to serve as a constant nidus of infection. This impermeable structure renders the biofilm immune to antibiotic treatment. **By use of [confocal microscopy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confocal_microscopy) and microelectrodes, biofilms similar to dental biofilms were shown to be present in the tonsillolith,** with oxygen respiration at the outer layer of tonsillolith, [denitrification](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denitrification) toward the middle, and acidification toward the bottom.[[7]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsillolith#cite_note-7) This is in agreement with what my internist and surgeon each explained to me when I had my tonsils removed. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/77 "2013-03-21T00:43:14Z")
> [@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/) :eek: Now _that’s_ a tonsil **stone**. My tonsils produce mere pebbles compared to that. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/78 "2013-03-21T01:35:59Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > From your cite: > > This is in agreement with what my internist and surgeon each explained to me when I had my tonsils removed. Note that the presence of bacteria doesn’t equal an infection. Many parts of our body, including the mouth naturally have non pathogenic bacteria that do no harm to the tissue they’re found on. ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/79 "2013-03-21T02:25:24Z")
Interesting…I am 31 and only started getting them a few years back. It seems seasonal, but I can’t really place a specific time on it. It only happens on the left side of my throat. And oh, by the way, did I mention I got my tonsils out when I was like 7 years old!!! ---
**Author:** ![\_Olive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/4af34b/32.png) [@\_Olive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Olive)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421/80 "2013-03-21T02:42:14Z")
This is the first I have heard of them. I had a stone under my tongue once. Use a little gauze to hold the tongue out of the way. It’s less slippery. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-get-rid-of-this-one-tonsil-stone-tmi/616421.md?page=5)