What Are Those Smelly “White Stones” in Your Mouth That Cause Terrible Bad Breath? (The Truth About Tonsil Stones)

When to See a Doctor

  • Stones larger than 5–6 mm or very painful
  • Bleeding when trying to remove them
  • One-sided tonsil enlargement that doesn’t go away (rarely can mask cancer)
  • Recurrent infections → discuss tonsillectomy (very effective permanent fix)

Quick Comparison

MethodStops bad breathRemoves existing stonesPrevents new onesCost
Mouthwash onlyTemporarilyNoPoor$$
Water flosser + saltYesYesExcellent$
ENT laser cryptolysisYesYesPermanent$$$$
TonsillectomyYesYes100 %$$$$

Most people who start the simple salt-water + water-flosser routine never see another stone again — and their partners thank them the very next morning.

You’re not gross — you just have cryptic tonsils!
Try the nightly gargle tonight and you’ll probably cough up the last one within a week