How to Prevent Tonsil Stones

Your tonsils are two small areas of lymph tissue that sit in the back of your throat. They help stop infections by catching bacteria and viruses before they can get to the rest of your body.

Tonsil tissue contains natural folds and crevices called tonsillar crypts. Some people have deeper crevices than others. Food particles, bacteria, dead cells, and other debris can get trapped in these spaces. When this material hardens or calcifies, it forms a tonsil stone, or tonsillolith. 

Tonsil stones usually aren’t a cause for concern. In fact, most people with tonsil stones don’t have any symptoms. 

1. Brush and floss every day

Good oral hygiene is important for your dental health. Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing daily can help prevent cavities, gum disease, and bad breath. Make sure to brush your tongue, too. 

These mouth care habits lower how much bacteria and food debris collect in your mouth. That means there’s less bacteria that can get into your tonsil crevices and lead to tonsil stones. 

Brushing and flossing may not always be enough to prevent tonsil stones. Some people brush and floss regularly and still get them. But there are other strategies you can add to help prevent tonsil stones.

2. Rinse with alcohol-free mouthwash

Rinsing with mouthwash once or twice a day may help lower your risk for developing tonsil stones. But you have to use the right mouthwash.

Look for alcohol-free mouthwash. Alcohol-based mouthwashes can worsen dry mouth for some people. And this can let more debris build up around your tonsils, which can raise your risk of developing tonsil stones. 

A healthcare professional can also prescribe chlorhexidine mouthwash if they think a stronger antibacterial rinse may help. 

3. Try warm saltwater gargles

Warm saltwater gargles do more than ease sore throats — they may also help manage tonsil stones. Gargling with warm salt water can flush out your tonsil crevices. This can prevent bacteria and food debris from building up inside your tonsils, where they can turn into stones.

The salt also changes the acid balance in your mouth. That can make it harder for bacteria and viruses to survive inside your tonsil crevices.

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Try gargling with warm salt water, especially after eating, to help dislodge food, dead cells, and bacteria.

4. Drink plenty of fluids

It’s no secret that staying hydrated is important for your health. But it might also help prevent dry mouth, which may contribute to tonsil stones.

Drinking enough water helps you make enough saliva. Saliva helps wash food particles and bacteria out of your mouth before they can collect around your tonsils. The water itself can also help remove debris from your tonsil crevices. 

5. Reduce how much alcohol you drink

Alcohol has a lot of short- and long-term effects on your body. One short-term effect is that it makes you pee more often, which can dehydrate you. Alcohol may also affect how much saliva you make, which also dries out your mouth. It’s possible that reducing your alcohol intake can help minimize tonsil stones.

6. Stop smoking

Smoking affects every part of your body, including your tonsils. Smoking can contribute to:

• Chronic inflammation in your mouth and throat

• Changes in the amount of bacteria in your mouth

• Less saliva production

These changes may make you more likely to develop tonsil stones. If you smoke, quitting may lower your risk while providing many other health benefits. A healthcare professional can help you find medications, counseling, or other support to quit smoking. 

How do you treat tonsil stones?

Most tonsil stones don’t require medical treatment, and you may not even realize you have one. Small stones often loosen and fall out on their own. If you have symptoms, a healthcare professional may be able to remove the stone.

When do you need to see a healthcare professional about tonsil stones?

Talk with your dentist or primary care provider if you get tonsil stones that keep coming back, cause bothersome symptoms, or don’t get better with home care. A healthcare professional can confirm that you have tonsil stones and discuss treatment options. 

You should also see a healthcare professional if you have throat pain, pain in your neck lymph nodes, and a fever. These could be signs of a tonsil infection (tonsillitis).

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Written by:

Brian Clista, MD

Dr. Clista is a board-certified pediatrician who works in private practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He previously served as a National Health Service Corporation Scholar in the inner city of Pittsburgh for 11 years.

Edited by:

Alex Eastman, PhD, RN

Alex Eastman, PhD, RN, is a California-based registered nurse and staff medical editor at GoodRx, where he focuses on clinical updates and Latino health.

Reviewed by:

Farzon A. Nahvi, MD

Farzon Nahvi, MD, is an emergency medicine physician and author of “Code Gray: Death, Life, and Uncertainty in the ER.” He works at Concord Hospital in Concord, New Hampshire, and teaches at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.

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