How to Get Rid of Tonsil Stones without Gagging, Home Remedies for Tonsil Stones Removal

Here’s how to get rid of tonsil stones fast and naturally with home remedies. Tonsil stones or tonsilloliths can be bad and cause bad breath and oral infections all the time. In severe cases, they can be removed using methods such as surgery. You can still get rid of tonsil stones at home permanently with salt water, vinegar, mouthwash and home remedies listed below without gagging or without pain.

The little orbs that are visible on your tonsils are small particles or remnants called tonsil stones. A rather healthy person can easily be found to have the stones. As they develop, tonsilloliths can cause pain and can be transmitted to another person through deep kissing and sharing eating utensils. According to WebMD’s profile of the problem, people with these stones in the throat will have symptoms such as:

Tonsil stones at the back of the throat.

A constant sore throat
White spots at the back of the throat
Difficulty swallowing food when they are big enough
Tonsil swelling
Ear pain and
Bad breath

So, if you have all these symptoms in your throat, how do you get rid of tonsil stones fast and safely? Can you remove tonsil stones at home and naturally? Below are 15 ways on how to get rid of tonsil stone debris from your throat.

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How to Get Rid of Tonsil Stones Fast

Since these stones can cause multiple oral infections due to the bacteria lodged on the crypts, knowing how to get rid of tonsil stones is important to ensure that they do not recur or cause infections and other risks as the ones described above. Here are the best ways to remove tonsil stones fast or almost overnight.

1. Use a Waterpik to remove tonsil stones fast

A Waterpik is designed to remove debris from different parts of the mouth. It works by flushing the oral cavity with pressured water. While it was designed to massage your gums, a Waterpik is a good tool for removing tonsil stones without pain, although you might feel a little pain if you have large stones in your throat. How it works – a Waterpik gets rid of tonsilloliths by dislodging them with pressure. Here’s what to do:

Set the water pick in your mouth at the level that it can reach the stones comfortably
Massage the area around the tonsil stones
Do so until you loosen the tonsil stones
Suck them out and flush the area.

Using a water pick is good but is not the best way to remove tonsil stones without gagging especially for people with a sensitive gag reflex.

2. Get rid tonsil stones with Q-tip or bobby pin

Use a q-tip, finger or bobby pin to remove tonsil stones that are visible in yoru throat

You can use a q-tip to reach the tonsil stones and dislodge them from your mouth. You will need a mirror to be able to see and reach the stones under your tonsils, or the ones behind.

Reach for the stones using a moistened q-tip
Put pressure on the debris with the bobby pin or q tip in the upward direction to remove the stones.
Wash and rinse your mouth with enough water to dump any crumbs that may break away from the tonsil debris.

3. How to dislodge tonsil stones with a finger

Like the q-tip and bobby pin method above, you can loosen tonsil stones faster with a finger too. Wash your hands well using soap and warm water first to avoid introducing bacteria into your throat. Stand in front of a mirror and insert the index finger in the mouth to reach for the white or yellow tonsil stones. Apply pressure on them to remove them then rinse your mouth. Instead of a finger, bobby pin and q-tip, you can also use a soft toothbrush to eliminate throat tonsil stones.

Home Remedies for Tonsil Stones Removal

While the above methods are good for getting rid of tonsil stones fast, immediately or instantly, some home remedies can also help loosen up stuck tonsil stones so that they can be removed easily without pain or hurting. As a continuation to our list of ways to eliminate tonsilloliths, here are the most effective home remedies.

4. Gargling with salt water to get rid of tonsil stones

According to Health Guide Hq, gargling with salt water or some carbonated drinks can help remove tonsil stones fast loosening them. Since tonsils are delicate, using salt water is a less invasive method that is not likely to cause your tonsils to bleed when you have tonsillitis. Here’s how to use salt water gargles to loosen them.

Gargling with salt water is said to help get rid of tonsil debris

Add half a teaspoon of salt to a cup of water and mix well.
Take the salt water in the mouth and face slightly upwards, leaning your head slightly at the back so that the water can reach the back of your throat where the stones sit.
Gargle with the water in your mouth for about 2 minutes.
Do this 3 to 4 times every day until the tonsil stones are removed.

Other than salt water gargles, you could also use carbonated drinks such as club soda or seltzer water. The logic behind these is that while the gargles help reduce swollen tonsils and remove bacteria in the oral cavity, the carbonation will loosen the tonsil stones quickly.

5. Dislodge tonsil stones at home by swallowing hard

Another home remedy for tonsil stones is swallowing hard to loosen the stones in your throat. Hard swallowing is all you need to dislodge any loosely attached stones. Here’s what to do:

Raise your tongue to touch the roof of the mouth.
Try to tighten your throat as much as you can.
Swallow hard – several times.
As you swallow, stick your tongue onto the white pearls in your throat.

This will eliminate the stones. The only downside to this is that you are likely to swallow them. There will be no harm anyway so don’t worry about it.

6. Can exercise get rid of tonsil stones?

Vigorous exercises may help you remove tonsil stones

Of all the home remedies for tonsil stones, I had no idea exercise can help. According to the TheraBreath, Kiss Bad Breath Goodbye and Tonsil Stones UK websites, regular exercise can also help you dislodge the stones and eventually get rid of them permanently. So, how do you get rid of tonsil stones with exercise?

Lean back your head
Elevate your tongue to touch the roof of your mouth
Open the mouth and close it several times.
Repeat the exercise three to four times to dislodge stuck tonsil stones and get rid of them faster.

While this is the exercise described by the UK website, on the Kiss Bad Breath Goodbye website, a certain Evan describes running and other aerobic exercises done at home can also get rid of the white blocks in the throat for good.

7. How to get rid of tonsil stones with hydrogen peroxide gargling

Can hydrogen peroxide cure tonsil stones? Can you clear stones in throat using hydrogen peroxide gargle? The TheraBreath website, again, recommends using a solution of hydrogen peroxide to clean tonsils and remove stones stuck in the throat.

CAUTION: If you are going to try hydrogen peroxide to clear out tonsil stones, DO NOT SWALLOW IT.

To use hydrogen peroxide gargles, follow the same procedure as that of salt water remedy above. The solution will fight germs and bacteria and help you prevent tonsil stones from growing or accumulating in the throat.

8. Mouthwash such as Listerine and Biotene

Listerine mouthwash

Does Listerine help tonsil stones? Can you use Biotene to get rid of white stones in the throat? We have seen how to get rid of tonsil stones gargling, but mouthwash is also something worth considering that is right at home. Mouthwash has anti-bacterial properties and will help fight the bacteria that encourage the formation of the stones in the throat. But which is the best mouthwash for stones?

Elizabeth Svoboda of The New York Times writes about Dr. Lee A. Zimmer, an otolaryngologist at the University of Cincinnati recommending that you gargle with non-alcohol mouthwash to remove your tonsil stones.

How to get rid of tonsil stones naturally

Apart from the home remedies, natural treatments can also remove tonsil stones effectively. Vinegar, lemon juice, and some essential oils are known to remove tonsil stones naturally – which is without pain or without surgery. If you do not want to seek medical intervention such as tonsillectomy, the try the following methods.

9. Apple cider vinegar gargle to dissolve tonsil stones

Apple cider vinegar removes tonsil stones naturally

Vinegar is an acidic substance that can dissolve hard stones in your throat. The treatment acts as a natural astringent. Here’s how to use apple cider vinegar to treat tonsil stones.

Into a cup of warm water, add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
Mix well
Gargle with the ACV solution for about 3 minutes
Repeat this two to three times a day to dissolve the stubborn stones in your throat.

10. Does lemon juice get rid of tonsil stones?

Lemon juice

Lemon juice has ascorbic acid that fights against bacteria and hard tonsil stones by eating away at them. Being a fruit juice found in your kitchen, it comes with no side effects but can help you remove and treat the tonsil stones. Here’s how to use it:

Into a glass of warm water, add a pinch of iodized salt.
Add 5 tablespoons of lemon juice
Mix these ingredients well
Gargle with the mixture in your mouth.
Repeat this 3 times a day.

If you get rid of the bad bacteria for good, you might as well be able to get rid of recurring tonsil crypts and stones forever.

11. Throwing up to remove bad tonsil stones stuck behind throat or unseen

Can throwing up remove tonsil stones instantly? There are some tonsil stones you can’t see. How do you remove them without surgery? Well, it is argued that the muscle movements that occur during throwing up are strong enough to dislodge the stones and remove them from the throat.

Some people may induce throwing up with a finger, while others recommend making a concoction that will cause you to vomit. Vomiting may only be effective if you have large tonsil stones that are not tightly attached to your tonsil crypts or crevices.

12. Essential oils like extra virgin olive oil

If you keep getting swollen tonsils, it could be due to inflammation. Extra-virgin olive oil is an anti-inflammatory and can help relieve tonsil stone pain. Here’s how to use this essential oil to eliminate the yellow or white tonsil balls in your throat.

Mix extra virgin olive oil with lukewarm water in equal parts
Gargle with it for about 3 minutes
Repeat this three times a day

After a few days, your tonsil stones will have healed.

How to Get Rid of Tonsil Stones Permanently, for Good or Forever

In some instances, the stones can be chronic in some people, and won’t go away until surgical treatments are used to dislodge them. So, how do you get rid of tonsil stones permanently? Here are the options you have:

13. Surgery or tonsillectomy

A minor surgery can also be done to get rid of those stones. This option is preferred when the stones are bad and will not come out on their own and cause a lot of discomfort especially obstruction when swallowing.

Surgical removal is done by an ENT doctor and it simply involves scraping it out with special tools. Since this will be painful, the area has to be numbed using anesthesia. In severe cases, tonsillectomy may be done to get rid of the tonsils altogether – mostly when there is an infection that is eating away the tonsils.

14. Medications – antibiotics e.g. penicillin

Tonsil stones can also be treated using medications such as antibiotics. According to WebMD, antibiotics may be prescribed by your physician, but they may not correct the problem that causes tonsilloliths. Some antibiotics may have side effects.

Penicillin and erythromycin are examples of antibiotic medications prescribed for people with tonsil stones. Amoxicillin may also be given but these may not address the underlying cause of the stones in your throat.

15. Does Therabreath get rid tonsil stones?

The TheraBreath website claims that the best way to get rid of the stones in your throat is to oxygenate them. The reason behind this is that the anaerobic bacteria will die when exposed to sufficient amounts of oxygen. Therabreath comes with different products, including the following:

Throat spray
Nasal sinus drops
Oxygen serum

It is claimed that using these products will help stop tonsil stones without surgery or painful processes.

Best Way to get rid of tonsil stones without gagging

So what is the best way to remove tonsil stones without gagging and vomiting? All the above methods will work, but some may not work for stubborn and stuck tonsil stones in the throat. Manual removal of the tonsilloliths is recommended as one of the best ways, but it may be inapplicable where the stones are hidden or are not visible.

Manual removal often causes gag reflex though and it is likely to lead to vomiting. Gargling with any one of the solutions discussed above can be safe and may not lead to bleeding or gagging. However, if the stones are tough and stuck behind tonsils and throat, you may not be able to remove them fast as it will take time to dissolve them before they get dislodged.

Getting rid of tonsil stones at the back of the throat, tonsil stones you can’t see deep in throat

What about removing embedded or unseen tonsil stones stuck deep in your throat? If you are unable to reach and touch them, you might want to consider seeing a doctor or an ENT to help get rid of tonsil stones deep in the back of your throat.

When the stones are embedded deep in the tonsil crypts in your throat, you might not be able to see them you will experience all the signs and symptoms discussed above. Without touching them, try using a saline solution and gargle with it, or lemon water to dissolve them faster. Coughing may also be of help, and so is trying to vomit.