Tonsil Stones aka Throat Boogers...EW! WHAT???

Tonsil stones aka Throat Boogers... Eww What???

Ever heard of the term? Ever felt something in your mouth but weren't eating anything? Before I started using peroxide rinses, I used to feel a particle of something in my mouth and wonder where it came from. I hadn't been eating. What in the world was this little yellow pebble that smelled awful. I know it sounds gross but remember I am very inquisitive and don't see many things as disgusting. I would squish the pebble between my nails and wondered, what in the world is this little thing? I looked in my mouth and I could see other little yellow spots in the back of my throat. They were lodged in the tonsils and if I moved my throat just right, I could get it to come out!

I decided to write about this because of a patient I met recently, I'll call G. As I treated G, I realized how inquisitive she was as well. She asked me if the peroxide rinses I recommended would help with breath and we got on the topic of tonsil stones. Yes! She exclaimed. She had experienced the same thing and thought she would have to brush her tonsils. Can you imagine putting a toothbrush that far back into the throat? I would non only gag because of my gag reflex, I would probably throw up!

I have theorized that the tonsil stones are actually accumulated plaque in pillars of the tonsils. I can attest that the smell and texture of them confirm what I believe. These little boogers can be one of the sources of bad breath. (There are a lot of sources of why our breath smells but a topic for another day). It smells the same as a patient's breath who never flosses and has high amounts of plaque. There is a very distinctive smell to it all and my nose is very sensitive (so my boyfriend states).

By accident I found the way to prevent these stones was when I started using diluted peroxide rinses. Low and behold, no more mysterious particles were being pulled from my mouth. It has been several years since I have experienced one and I can say that I am living proof that peroxide prevents plaque and buildup in our mouths. I don't know how this could be clinically proven like the other claims, but I will continue to seek out answers to some of the dental mysteries that I see.