What Are Those White Spots on My Tonsils?

Tonsil stones can easily look like white spots on the tonsils. They form in small pocket-like structures in the tonsils called tonsillar crypts. The pockets collect bacteria, dead cells, food particles and mucus caused by post nasal drip. Because they're usually white, off-white, or yellow-white in color, people who have tonsil stones frequently complain of white spots on their tonsils, especially as the stones grow larger and protrude from the tonsils. Doctors estimate about six percent or more of the general population suffers from tonsil stones at some point.

More Bad Breath and Tonsil Stones Resources

Just keeping you up-to-date on additional resources we've been finding with respect to tonsil stones, bad breath, morning breath and related bad breath/bad taste issues.
As most of you already know, bad breath comes in two basic flavors: situational bad breath and chronic bad breath. Situational bad breath happens on a case-by-case basis as the result of food or drink (thin garlic, onions and other bad breath foods). Chronic bad breath is bad breath on steroids and usually requires a simple but strict treatment regimen to see improvement.

Of course, bad breath that results from tonsil stones can be one of the most offensive kinds of bad breath. Tonsil stones, too, can be conquered and the purpose of this blog is to help with that.

Bad Breath and Tonsil Stones: News You Can Use

We've found some new bad breath and tonsil stones resources that we think are definitely worth a closer look if you suffer from these common problems.
Let's start off by taking a closer at the type of bad breath you have. Sometimes it's situational and caused by something we eat or drink - think garlic, onions or too much coffee - and sometimes it's chronic, where the culprits are usually anaerobic bacteria that live beneath the surface of the tongue. Click on the following link to learn more about your type of bad breath.
Even if you've identified your type of bad breath, you still need to know what kind of oral hygiene regimen can eliminate the problem. Finally, those of you who have chronic bad breath may actually be suffering from tonsil stones, calcified collections of dead bacteria, mucous and food particles that lodge in the tonsil crypts and often look like white spots on tonsils. Remove tonsil stones using a WaterPik or other oral irrigator. Okay, all for now. Watch for additional updates soon...

Check Your Oral Hygiene Habits If You Have Bad Breath

If you’re one of the millions of people who suffer from bad breath, a good place to start addressing the issue is a look at your oral hygiene habits. Bad breath occurs when anaerobic bacteria begin to feed on food particles left behind in the mouth after eating. The bacteria produce volatile sulfur compounds as part of their metabolic processes and these compounds smell like old socks or rotting eggs.
To combat this problem, make sure you thoroughly brush your teeth, your tongue, the inside of your cheeks and the roof of your mouth after eating. Follow up by flossing between your teeth and then using an oxygenating oral rinse that makes it more difficult for anaerobic bacteria to multiply and thrive. If after all this your problem persists, consult a dentist or ENT for signs of gum disease, tooth decay or tonsil stones.

As Tonsillectomies Decline, Tonsil Stones Increase

Tonsillectomies in this country have fallen to roughly 600,000 procedures annually, down from several million each year in the operation’s most popular era. Because the total number of tonsillectomies is down, many more people still have their tonsils than in the past. As a result, tonsil stones are much more common today than they once were. Many people who suffer from tonsil stones, especially adults, now see surgery as their only option. But is it?

Dry Mouth and Morning Breath - What's the Connection?

There's a definite connection between dry mouth and morning breath, a type of bad breath almost all of us have experienced. Dry mouth happens when too little saliva is produced. Saliva is rich in oxygen, so a good flow of saliva introduces plenty of oxygen into the oral cavity, and this is exactly what anaerobic micro-organisms don’t like. Given the presence of enough oxygen, these micro-organisms don’t multiply as quickly and this diminishes or even eliminates chronic halitosis in many instances. So rinse your mouth frequently with lots of water and try an oxygenating rinse made especially for the purpose of suppressing anaerobic bacteria.

What Kind Of Bad Breath Do You Have?

Chronic bad breath is caused by anaerobic microbes that live mainly on the surface or just beneath the surface of the tongue. Anaerobic bacteria love an oxygen-poor environment and this is just the type of living space the tongue provides.
These bacteria feed on food particles, sinus drainage and post-nasal drip, producing volatile sulfur compounds like hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan as metabolic waste. It is these compounds that smell of rotten eggs or old, unwashed socks...
By the way, the same micro-organisms that cause chronic bad breath can also cause or exacerbate other oral hygiene problems and diseases. One example is gingivitis, or gum disease. Another is tonsil stones, which are caused by an accumulation of sulfur-producing bacteria and debris that become lodged in the tonsils. This debris, which can include mucous from post nasal drip, rots in the back of the oral cavity and becomes trapped in the tonsil crypts to form tiny, stone-like objects that are usually white in color.