Our tonsils are among the first lines of defense against illness. They work like skimmers or nets, trapping bacteria and viruses as they pass through the throat. But they don’t always work the way they’re supposed to. On occasion bacteria, dead cells and mucous can become trapped in the crevices of the tonsils, gathering and hardening into small white or yellowish stones called tonsil stones.

Why do they occur? Simply, they come because “garbage” gathers around your tonsils, and when that garbage (things like postnasal drip, food particles, and bacteria) gets caught in tonsil crevices, it hardens into small yellow colored stones that can look like white spots at the back of the throat. Overactive salivary glands and a reaction to dairy products can also cause tonsiliths.

Not long ago, people simply thought these tonsiliths were bits of food or bits of plaque that got caught in the back of the throat — and indeed, they are very small, such that normal physical examinations may not catch them; in some cases, they won’t be seen until a more refined test is used, like a CT scan.

Do you know if you have tonsiliths? Symptoms can be embarrassing and uncomfortable. Most often, you are going to feel like you’ve got something stuck in the back of your throat, or you may feel your throat tightening. You may have a constant or near constant “metallic” taste in your mouth, and you probably have bad breath.

You can treat tonsil stones, though, and in many cases you can do it from home. Gargle thoroughly and establish a good oral hygiene routine, which can help take care of them. You can reach the back of your throat with your finger, a Q-tip, or the back of your toothbrush, and gently scrape them away. You can squeeze them out by brushing gently upwards with your brush, finger, etc., pressing gently as you do so. There are other methods you can get rid of them with, too, and you can find them by Googling, “tonsil stones,” or “tonsiliths” on the Internet.

If tonsiliths are particularly severe, surgery may be recommended. Cryptolysis involves having a surgeon remove tonsiliths with a laser, and then smoothing tonsil surfaces so that tonsiliths can’t regrow. Remember, though, even though this may seem like a good idea, when the tonsil surfaces are smoothed, this negate some of the benefits of the rough surfaces’ catching of bacteria and other foreign matter as a means to prevent infection and so on.

The most drastic procedure is to have your tonsils completely removed. While this will stop the formation of tonsil stones, it won’t cure the bad breath left behind, it won’t remove the bacteria and it won’t completely stop the gathering of stones. All it will do, to be honest, is remove your tonsils. Surgical treatments are also expensive and can take up to a month to fully recover from.

There are other ways to help fight tonsil stones, among them diet and good oral hygiene. Cut back on your dairy intake and don’t eat for half an hour before bed to keep food from accumulating. Brush your teeth after you eat and before bed to keep bacteria from gathering, gargle and drink water. Not only will following these tips be good for your mouth and your breath, but good for your body, as well.