When you think of having bad breath, you might think that the easiest way to get rid of it is to brush the teeth and use mouthwash. One woman had bad breath that was so bad she went to her doctor. He looked at her tonsils and behind them to discover the problem.
The problem that the woman had is something very common. It’s called tonsil stones. This occurs when particles from food and other debris settle on the tonsils and harden, creating small stones. There is an estimate that one in four people have these stones. It’s a leading cause of bad breath among those who have them.
There really isn’t a way to see if you have them until you begin to suffer from pain or other symptoms. The doctor that this woman saw noticed that the bacteria growing on the stones was causing her bad breath, which was almost like a sulfur smell. The doctor was able to get rid of the stones using a laser.
For most people, the stones don’t return. One way to permanently solve the problem is to have the tonsils removed, but this isn’t something doctors recommend as a primary option. It’s best to try methods of brushing and rinsing to see if the stones will stay gone or not develop in the first place.