How to Get Rid of Tonsil Stones
Most tonsil stones can be loosened at home by gargling with warm salt water, coughing firmly, or rinsing gently with a water flosser on a low setting. Small stones often come out on their own, and swallowing one is harmless. If they keep coming back, cause pain or trouble swallowing, or one tonsil looks larger than the other, see your physician or an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor.
What are tonsil stones?
Your tonsils sit at the back of your throat on each side. Their surface has small pits and folds called crypts. Food debris, dead cells, bacteria and minerals can collect in those crypts and harden into small white or yellow lumps. The medical name is tonsilloliths.
Many people have them without noticing. When they do cause symptoms, the most common are:
bad breath
an unpleasant taste
a sore or scratchy throat
a feeling that something is caught in the throat
discomfort when swallowing, or sometimes ear pain
How can you remove tonsil stones at home?
Gargle with warm salt water after meals. It can loosen stones and soothe the throat.
Cough firmly. A stone near the surface may come out on its own.
Use a water flosser on its lowest setting, aimed gently at the tonsil, not straight down the throat.
Press gently with a cotton swab next to a visible stone, if you can reach it without gagging.
Avoid fingernails, toothpicks, tweezers or anything sharp. Tonsil tissue bleeds easily and can become sore or infected if it is scraped. If a stone is deep or will not come out, leave it for your physician.
Can you prevent them?
Not always, because the shape of your tonsils plays a large part. These habits help:
Brush twice a day, clean between your teeth and brush or scrape your tongue.
Gargle with water or salt water after eating.
Drink enough water. A dry mouth lets debris build up. If dry mouth is a regular problem, our page on dry mouth explains common causes.
Do not smoke.
When should you see a physician or ENT?
See your physician or an ENT doctor if:
stones keep coming back or home care does not help
you have throat pain, fever or trouble swallowing
one tonsil is swollen or larger than the other
you have a sore in the throat that does not heal, a sore throat or ear pain that does not go away, a lump in your neck or a change in your voice
The last two groups of symptoms are not typical of tonsil stones and should be examined promptly to rule out other conditions, including cancer of the tonsil. For stones that keep causing trouble, a physician can remove them in the office, and removing the tonsils (tonsillectomy) is sometimes recommended.
What does a dentist have to do with tonsil stones?
Tonsil stones are one cause of bad breath, but most bad breath starts in the mouth. Bacteria coating the back of the tongue, gum disease, decay, food trapped around dental work and a dry mouth are all common causes. A dental examination can find or rule out those causes before you assume the tonsils are to blame.
During an examination we also look at the back of the mouth and throat. If something there needs medical attention, we will tell you and recommend that you see your physician or an ENT. You can read what an oral cancer screening involves.
If you live in Jacksonville and have bad breath that does not go away, contact our office or call 904-398-1549.
Sources
Cleveland Clinic. Tonsil stones (tonsilloliths). Last reviewed January 7, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
National Cancer Institute. Head and neck cancers fact sheet. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
About the author. CJ Henley, DMD, is a general dentist in Jacksonville whose practice focuses on cosmetic and restorative dentistry, dental implants and dental care around head and neck cancer. Meet Dr. Henley.
CJ Henley, DMD, PA · 3675 Hendricks Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32207 · 904-398-1549
Updated October 2026.