Tonsil Stone Treatment Options

A water pick (irrigator) with a low pressure tongue-cleaner attachment can be used to clear debris out of the crypts in the tonsil and is an effective method to clear out existing tonsil stones and preventing new ones from forming.

A toothbrush, ear curette, or q-tip can be used to dislodge tonsilloliths, however many find discomfort and experience a gagging sensation.

The stone can be removed using a surgical procedure with an oral curette.

surgical curette used for removing tonsil stones

Pictured Above : Oral Curette used for removing Tonsillolith

In some cases when the calculus (tonsil stone cluster) is lodged deep inside the tonsil and large in size, a tonsillectomy or tonsillotomy can be called for. A tonsillectomy is a surgical procedure in which the tonsils are completely removed. A tonsillotomy is when an incision is made into the tonsils or a portion of the tonsils are removed surgically.

Laser resurfacing, also known as laser tonsillotomy or laser tonsillectomy is a long term treatment option. This scanned carbon dioxide laser procedure can be performed under local anesthesia; the laser vaporizes the surface of the tonsils, leaving them flat and smooth and free of pits and crypts.