Tonsil Stones

Tonsil stones are white or yellowish hard masses that are located within the tonsil.

Tonsils are supposed to help prevent and fight infections but sometimes that's not the case. Nooks and crannies can fill up with dead cells, mucous, saliva and food which gets trapped and builds up. Over time this debris hardens into a tonsil stone.
 
If you notice any of these symptoms you could have developed tonsil stones:

• Bad breath
• Sore throat
• A sense that something is stuck in your mouth or in the back of your throat.
• White visible clumps in the back of the throat
• Difficulty swallowing
• Pressure or pain in the ears

 Luckily tonsil stones are harmless but you will wont to remove them because of the symptoms listed above. Treatments can range from home remedies to professional removal.

Home remedies:

• Gargling - Gargling with warm salt water will ease a sore throat and reduces the smell of bad breath but most importantly it my help dislodge the stones. 
• Coughing - Energetic coughing can help loosen stones.
• Manual removal - *Not recommended, can cause severe bleeding and infection* If you decide to manually remove the stones use a water pick or a cotton swab.

Professional removal:

•  Laser tonsil cryptolysis - Laser is used to eliminate the crypts where stones are lodged. You will have local anesthesia and recovery time is minimal.
• Coblation cryptolysis - Radio waves transform a salt solution into ions. These ions cut through he tissue.
• Tonsillectomy - Surgical removal of the tonsils, this is usually done if the stones are severe or if other methods tried have failed.
• Antibiotics - Sometimes antibiotics can be used to manage the stones.