Are you suffering from bad breath? Do you often get a sore throat? or are you sometimes bothered by swallowing problems? This list of complaints is common among children and youngsters. To prevent yourself from these issues, would you mind visiting the Best Dental Clinic that specializes in the treatment of these problems?
It is estimated that one in four people suffer from bad breath, and some studies report that approximately half of the adult population suffers from this condition.
Could tonsil stones be the cause of bad breath and other dental problems? or is it the side effect of poor dental hygiene? The best way to answer this question is to first understand what tonsil stones are along with their causes and symptoms.
Also check out: Best Dental Clinic in Nagpur
What are Tonsil Stones?
Tonsil stones, or tonsilloliths, are bits and pieces of bacterias and debris commonly seen as white spots located in the back of the throat, or on the areas that are swollen, red, and uneven.
Tonsil stones are dense as well as rigid in composition and yellow or white in color, whereas tonsils are meant to work like nets whereupon they trace bacterias and viruses which enter the throat.
What Causes Tonsil Stones?
Tonsils are built up of tunnels, cracks, and pits termed as tonsil crypts. It is the food that you consume, the saliva that is used to digest that food, dead cells, and mucus that accumulate in these tunnel voids that gradually build up.
Decomposers like bacteria and fungi nourish these tonsil crypts, resulting in a bad smell. Let’s move our attention to the causes of tonsil stones:
- Poor Oral Hygiene.
- Chronic Tonsillitis.
- Wide Tonsils and Adenoids.
- Chronic Sinusitis.
What Are the Symptoms of Tonsil Stones?
Tonsil stones don’t have any symptoms at first, but they do leave an invisible mark. Gradually, when they are enlarged enough, they can only be detected with X-rays or CT scans. Symptoms include:
- Bad breath.
- Cough.
- Ear pain.
- White debris.
- Sore Throat.
- Tonsil swelling.
- Difficult swallowing.
5 Ways to Get Rid of Tonsil Stones
1. Saltwater Gargle:
To dislodge a tonsil stone, prepare a cup of warm water by adding half a teaspoon of salt. Gargle with the warm salt water mixture for about 15-20 seconds, it will result in losing tonsil stone.
Gargling with warm saltwater blocks bacteria and viruses from sticking in your tonsils. This can also help to separate the bad odor from which you might be suffering. Additionally, warm saltwater aids to ease the pain corresponding to tonsil stones.
2. Non-Alcoholic Mouthwash:
Using a mouthwash without alcohol is the best choice to flush the existing debris and bacterias to kick out of your mouth, this also results in less formation of tonsil stones.
Non-Alcoholic mouthwash may not kick off all the bacterias and fungi, but it does avoid further dental complications and bad breath.
Also check out: Things to avoid after Wisdom Tooth Removal
3. Coughing:
If the tonsil stones haven’t stuck or well-seated where it is being developed, a heavy cough might dislodge it, however, you shouldn’t try to do this unless the stones are smaller in size.
Energetic coughing, in some cases, might help loosen tonsil stones.
4. Keeping Good Oral Hygiene:
This is the superlative way of preventing stones right before forming them. To avoid building debris on the surface of the tonsil, you must floss every day.
Make sure you brush your teeth and tongue wisely at least two times a day. Another way to keep good oral hygiene is to remove tonsil stones with the help of the back of a toothbrush.
Use the non-bristle side of the brush to gently remove the formation of tonsil stone. Also, brushing your teeth and tongue regularly reduces the excess quantity of bacteria thereby preventing further dental complications.
5. Cotton Swabbing:
Some people use this method of swabbing cotton to wipe tonsil stone from the backside of their throat. Although this method has associated risk factors of injuries, one must visit the best dental clinic before attempting this.
Moisten the swab, put it in the back of the throat, and wipe the stones slowly, however, if bleeding occurs, quit swabbing or visit your best dentist known.
Drinking plenty of water, limiting the intake of food with extra sugar, using a toothpaste that contains fluoride, limiting or avoiding alcohol and tobacco, and drinking fluoridated water are some simple ways to maintain oral hygiene. Hope these ways will help you to get rid of tonsil stones.
Also check out: Scurvy: Causes, Risk, Symptoms and Treatment
Was this helpful?
2 / 0