Tonsil Stones: Allen Park’s Questions Answered

Categories: Dental Health

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Hi, we’re Drs. Greg & Joanne Szalai and we are a team of cosmetic dentists with a full-service practice in Allen Park. Today in the Allen Park dental blog I would like to address the subject of tonsil stones. The first thing that Dearborn, Taylor, and Southgate dental patients usually ask about tonsil stones is, “What in the world are tonsil stones?”

Before we answer that, let’s review what the tonsils are. Your tonsils sit in the back of your throat. They are gland-like and there is one tonsil located in each pocket on either side of the back of your throat. Tonsils are made of the infection-fighting tissue known as lymphocytes, but tonsils aren’t really that great at their job of germ killing.

Tonsils have many areas where dead cells, mucous, and bacteria can become trapped. If this debris accumulates and becomes concentrated, white formations can occur in the pockets. Once it hardens, it becomes a tonsil stone.

It is rare for these tonsil stones to become large and cause problems, but if they do, you may experience the following symptoms:

  • Bad breath
  • Sore throat
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Ear pain
  • Swelling of tonsils

It’s important to discuss treatment with your Allen Park dentist or doctor. The only sure-fire way to avoid tonsil stones is to have the tonsils completely removed, but very few cases become this serious.

Thank you for visiting my dental blog. We are passionate about the oral health of our Allen Park area patients. We also want them to have the beautiful smiles that they desire, that’s why we love to discuss with them the many cosmetic dentistry procedures available, such as teeth whitening, veneers, invisible braces, dental bonding, and dental implants.

For general, pediatric, or cosmetic dentistry, call 313-928-2323 today to schedule an appointment with us!

Drs. Greg & Joanne Szalai
Szalai & Szalai DDS
5329 Allen Rd
Allen Park, Michigan
313-928-2323

The following online article was used as source material for this blog:
“Tonsil Stones”, WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/tonsil-stones-tonsilloliths-treatment-and-prevention, accessed on September 11, 2013