Wellness

[tansy]

I'm in my 60s and still have my tonsils intact.  I've never heard of tonsil stones before.  A new thing for me to worry about 😜

[dex]

@SharkE do you drink a lot of water?You could try gargling with salt water after you eat

[qualitygal]

I haven't heard of these before.

[Pook]

@SharkE  I looked it up and they are probably what I was getting many years ago.  I saw them when I got a 10x magnification mirror.  Since my throat didn't hurt I just kept scraping them off with a qtip.  After a few years I no longer got them.

[BeccaLou]

@Kachina624 Tonsil stones are food particles that get trapped in pockets in your tonsil, the pockets are from a past really bad throat infection in the past. Such things like walnuts, hard pretzels, any hard food. They usually remove themselves by coughing, your system natually want them out. They sell Dr. Katz's mouthwash and seem to help. I 've wanted my tonsils out for years but was discouraged by my dental hygientist, she said it is dangerous as you age. So I put up with it also. You are not alone with this problem. I certainly can feel your feeling of insecurity of having bad breath. But try Dr. Katz's mouthwash , he invented it for his daughter, he is a dentist.

[novamc1]

I would see an ear/nose/throat specialist (otolaryngologist), not a dentist about a problem like that.

i have had two experiences over many years with clogged salivary glands, which cause a sudden and painful lump to protrude on either side of the face.

I was told what they were, was given instructions on how to massage them out, and hopefully not let them develop into hardened stones.  I was also given an antibiotic prescription in case I had further problems, but things got better without any drugs.

This problem probably occurred because I don't eat very many times during the day, so the salivary glands don't get stimulated to produce enough fluid to "dilute" things.

Not saying your problem is the same, but I'd still see a throat specialist instead of a dentist if you're really concerned.

[chrystaltree]

In medical terms, they are called tonsilliths.  I've seen them in my job a time or two, not often.  I've never known anyone with them.  Basically, it's rotting garbage in stuck in the folds of your tonsils so I would just go with the tonsillectomy and be done with them once and for all.  Especially in your case since you get them despite the fact that you practice good oral hygiene.  I'd be more afraid of infections and bad breath than tonsillectomy.....which no one in modern times bleeds to death from.  

[Mindy D]

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@SharkE wrote:

Anybody here have those **** things ? I don't want to have tonsils

took out, afraid I'll bleed to death since I'm over 60. Got a water pik

to try and flush the one or 2 I get , got a tool kit I use to remove them

myself, but, they keep coming back.

Some other method out there that works ? I brush teeth 4 times a day and use Biotene, go to dentist twice a yr. so, have good dental hygeine and still they return.

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You can just pop the stones out yourself or you can have a dentist or medical professional remove them.  You don’t have to have the tonsils removed to get rid of the stones. I had a couple of them over thirty or forty years ago. I didn’t know what they were. I didn’t even realize they were there. I washed my hands and was trying to get a better glimpse of my throat in the mirror. I lightly pressed on the tissue next to one of them and it came out of a its place. I took it out of my mouths and examined it. I did the same thing to the other one and it came out. I gargled with warm salt water. My breath was nicer after removal. They never came back. I didn’t learn what these were until years later. 

[Carmie]

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@Mindy D wrote:

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@SharkE wrote:

Anybody here have those **** things ? I don't want to have tonsils

took out, afraid I'll bleed to death since I'm over 60. Got a water pik

to try and flush the one or 2 I get , got a tool kit I use to remove them

myself, but, they keep coming back.

Some other method out there that works ? I brush teeth 4 times a day and use Biotene, go to dentist twice a yr. so, have good dental hygeine and still they return.

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You can just pop the stones out yourself or you can have a dentist or medical professional remove them.  You don’t have to have the tonsils removed to get rid of the stones. I had a couple of them over thirty or forty years ago. I didn’t know what they were. I didn’t even realize they were there. I washed my hands and was trying to get a better glimpse of my throat in the mirror. I lightly pressed on the tissue next to one of them and it came out of a its place. I took it out of my mouths and examined it. I did the same thing to the other one and it came out. I gargled with warm salt water. My breath was nicer after removal. They never came back. I didn’t learn what these were until years later. 

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I had my tonsils removed because the stones were reoccurring and caused me to get infections in my throat and ears.  I had more than a couple. The doctor would not remove the tonsils until they were free from infection.  it took me forever to get them cleared up.  He removed them two days later before the infection could come back.

They also caused really bad dragon breath, no matter how many times I brushed or used mouth wash.  Even chewing mints all day didn't help.  I was afraid to talk to people.

It was so embarrassing to see people backing away from me when we spoke.  DH didn't like kissing me either.  

I never had tonsil problems as a kid. 

I am glad I had them out.  The side effect is that my throat hurts when I sing.  So, I don't sing anymore.  I used to sing at church weddings and funerals.

[morganjen]

I used to get them all the time years ago. Dentist told me it was food that gets stuck in the crevices of your tonsils. Who knows? I used to have long nails and was adept at removing them myself. I know, yikes. Since I had to change my diet (no gluten or dairy) I never get them anymore.