If you are suffering from bad breath, there are a few reasons that this may happen to you. While you might wonder what causes tonsil stones and what they are, there are a few simple ways to identify them and get rid of them. Your oral health is important, and knowing how to take care of yourself will put you on the right track in a safe way without having surgery.
Bacteria build up is one of the main culprits of the stone forming on the fine spaces along the surface of your tonsils. Some of the factors leading up to the formation of the stones are a dripping nasal cavity or environmental irritants. The stone itself can become dislodged during a cough or a sneeze and can be quite embarrassing for it to be dislodged if one were to be kissing someone.
Tonsils Removed?
When you are diagnosed with a stone, your first reaction might be to seek to have your tonsils removed. As an adult, the risks of having a tonsillectomy are greater, so you will want to stay away from that if at all possible. If you do not have to have your tonsils out, it is to your best interest to keep them for as long as you possibly can.
An old wives tale would suggest that food that have not been properly expelled or rinsed away is the main cause of a stone to form on the tonsils. This is not the case, and your dentist and their colleagues have spent a long time researching this problem in order to come up with a way to get rid of them without any invasive procedures. Sometimes it is as simple as just brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash on a regular basis to keep a stone from forming on your tonsils.
Bad Smell
There is a good reason why the smell that comes from a broken tonsil stone is so bad; the gasses that have been built up and contained in the shell of the stone. When it opens, the gasses expand and escape, causing your mouth to stink very badly. It is a certainty that if the stone breaks in your mouth, you are going to experience a very smelly case of bad breath.
A good way of lessening the chances of the stone not forming at all is to keep a good eye on your oral hygiene and not let it slip to the wayside. Brushing your teeth and gums on a regular basis will help to keep the stones from forming. Be sure to pay attention to your tongue to get rid of any debris that may be left on it after brushing your teeth.
If you use products that have oxygenation properties to them, such as a mouthwash or toothpaste, this can go a long way to keeping your tonsils free of any kind of stone formation. Equally important is the use of oxygenated tablets that can further aid you in ridding your mouth and throat area of bacteria that can make a stone grow. Consider using a medicated mouthwash that can finish off what you have achieved with the brushing and flossing to keep your breath smelling good.
Visit The Dentist
As long as you pay close attention to your oral hygiene and visit your dentist on a regular basis, you should have no troubles keeping stone formation at bay in the future. The dentists are learning about this too, but they always help to enforce the importance of good mouth care. They are also a great resource for education and information so that you can have fresh breath all of the time.
If you are having problems with your nasal passages, the drainage you are experiencing can be a detriment to the health of your throat and tonsils. Using a spray that will directly dry up the dripping of the nasal drainage into your throat can aid in the ability to thwart the growth of any bacteria that it would otherwise cause. Being aware of this can be a very important thing as we do not always know exact causes for the stone formation.
The books that are out there for sale will tell you that with taking good care of your mouth you can stop the effects of bad breath and how it is caused. It will also advise you on how you can get rid of a stone that has developed on your tonsils, or if you are experiencing a really bad case of bad breath. You can get a book to guide you from your dentist or from a book store or you can try the online best seller Banish Tonsil Stones
Symptoms
There are not many symptoms that a stone on your tonsils would make you aware of. The complaints usually are limited to a slightly sore throat, though there have been instances where a difficulty in breathing was reported. The likelihood of this happening is more prevalent in an adult and are usually not seen unless the person has undergone some sort of diagnostic testing that would show an abnormality in the throat or tonsil areas.
The presence of bacteria in the throat can cause a person to have a metallic taste in their mouths, and this is a good way to indicate that there may be something amiss. Unexplained coughing or a bit of thickness in the back of the throat can also determine some sort of abnormality in the throat or tonsils. If you have had a throat infection recently, you may see a stone form as a result.
Good oral care is tantamount to keeping these stones at bay but sometimes you can do other things without having a surgical intervention. Using a stream of water from a tube can help to shift the stone out of the place it has imbedded itself. If that does not work, you may have to visit your dentist to have it taken out if it is too big to do it on your own.
Conclusion
When you are looking for tips when you ask what causes tonsil stones, your dentist can be a great resource for you. As long as you practice good oral hygiene and you have regular check-ups with your dentist, you should have no problems identifying any issues that may crop up as a result of a bacteria problem in your throat or on your tonsils. Surgical intervention is not always needed and should be used sparingly if you happen to be an adult, as the risks are greater than for children.
