Your tonsils are located towards the back of your mouth, and they are essential in helping your body defend itself against bacteria, viruses, and other harmful substances. Without your tonsils any harmful substance can pass through your throat and cause harm to your body.

However, some people want to remove their tonsils because of a condition known as tonsil stones. The medical name for tonsil stones is tonsilloliths and it develops around and inside the pockets of the tonsils. Whenever leftover food particles, oral bacteria, mucus, and dead cells stay in your mouth too long these little tonsil stones will start popping up.

One of the most common symptoms of tonsil stones is halitosis. Halitosis will make your breath have a bad odor for pretty much 24 hours a day. Another sign that you might have tonsil stones is if your tonsils are swollen. Even though the symptoms associated with tonsilloliths are not life threatening, they can cause a lot of embarrassment and discomfort.

When you’re looking for a tonsil stone removal to get rid of this problem in your mouth, you have keep in mind that you want to make sure it’s safe and won’t damage your tonsils in the process.

The Gargle

Gargling your mouth with some diluted vinegar can be very helpful in removing the tonsil stones. The vinegar helps remove the stones by dissolving the magnesium and calcium salt that form around the stones. You might feel a little tingle when you gargle with the vinegar solution, but it will definitely help.

You could also try gargling some warm salt water. The salt will help loosen up the stones stuck in your tonsils. To make the salt water solution you need a cup of water and about 3 tablespoons of iodized salt. Mix the warm water with the salt and then gargle it for about a minute or two. After you spit out the salt water gargle some alcohol based mouth wash.

The best time to gargle the vinegar or salt water solution is right after you get through eating a meal. The gargling will help to knock loose any stuck food particles and bacteria that can lead to the development of tonsil stones.

Ear Bud

Find a clean ear bud with a long handle. You could also use a long handle ear wax remover for this job too. Stand in front of a mirror and use a flashlight if you need some help seeing all the way to the back of your mouth. Place the bud on the bottom half of the stone stuck in your tonsils and slowly jab at it. Repeat this process until the tonsil stone is knocked loose. Sometimes you might start gagging after you knock the stones loose. Scoop all of the debris and stones out from your mouth. Once again gargle your mouth with mouthwash and spit out.

These are some of the best ways to get rid of tonsil stones and when you do you have to follow some good oral hygiene methods in order to keep them from coming back.