How to Get Rid of Tonsil Stones Yourself: 6 Home Remedies

How to Get Rid of Tonsil Stones at Home

Tonsil stones (tonsilloliths) usually come loose on their own. To help one along, gargle warm salt water, use a water flosser on a low setting, or gently dislodge it with a clean cotton swab.¹² Most small stones can be managed at home — see a dentist or an ENT for stones that are large, painful, or keep coming back.³

Tonsil stones are hardened deposits of food debris, mucus, and bacteria that build up in the small pockets on the surface of your tonsils. They aren’t dangerous, but they cause bad breath (halitosis), a sore throat, or the feeling of something stuck in your throat. For a full overview of what they are and why they form, see our guide to tonsil stones.

6 Ways to Remove Tonsil Stones Yourself

At-home methods help loosen, remove, or manage small tonsil stones. The right approach depends on the stone’s size, how loose it feels, and how comfortable you are working in the back of your throat.

Gargle Warm Salt Water

A warm salt-water gargle is the first-line method and the one most clinicians recommend.² The American Academy of Family Physicians suggests mixing 1 teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm water.²

1. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of table salt in 8 ounces of warm (not hot) water.
2. Tilt your head back and gargle at the back of your throat for 30 seconds.
3. Spit, then repeat once.

Use this 2 to 3 times a day, especially after meals. The warm rinse loosens food debris around the stone and softens the surrounding tissue, which is enough to dislodge some small stones on its own. Salt water also soothes the irritation a stone causes, so it doubles as symptom relief while you wait for stones to fall out.¹

Try a Water Flosser

A water flosser or oral irrigator offers a safe, contact-free way to flush a visible tonsil stone loose.¹ Pressure matters here — too much will irritate or injure the tonsil tissue.

1. Set the device to its lowest pressure (typically 1 to 3 on a 10-step dial).
2. Stand in front of a mirror with good lighting and locate the stone.
3. Hold the tip 1 to 2 inches from the tonsil and aim directly at the stone.
4. Exhale through your nose during the pulse to help with the gag reflex.

Stop if you feel pain, see blood, or trigger a strong gag. Water flossers work best for stones you can see clearly and that look loose at the edges. For stones lodged deep in a crypt, gargling first to soften the area is a sensible warm-up.

Use a Cotton Swab Carefully

A clean, wet cotton swab can ease a visible, loose stone out without damaging the tonsil.¹³ Northwestern Medicine cautions that tonsils bleed easily, so this method is for stones you can see and that already look ready to pop free.³

1. Wash your hands and wet a fresh cotton swab.
2. Use a flashlight and mirror to find the stone.
3. Press the swab gently against the tonsil tissue next to the stone, pushing toward the stone rather than into it.
4. Stop the moment you gag, bleed, or feel pain.

Spit the stone into a tissue if you can. If you accidentally swallow a small stone, that’s fine — it won’t hurt you.¹³ Skip this method entirely for stones that are deep, painful, or stuck fast. Never use a sharp object, a toothpick, or your fingers.

Cough Them Loose

A controlled, deliberate cough sometimes pops a small stone free, especially right after gargling.¹ Aim for a sharp, focused cough — not a violent or repeated one, which only irritates the throat.

Pair coughing with a warm salt-water gargle: the rinse softens the surrounding tissue, and the cough provides the pressure to dislodge the stone. If a stone comes loose, spit it into a tissue.

Rinse with Antibacterial Mouthwash

An alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash reduces the bacteria that contribute to tonsil-stone formation and the bad breath that comes with them.⁴⁵ The American Dental Association notes that therapeutic mouthwashes reduce bacteria, plaque, and bad-breath compounds.⁴

1. Rinse with 20 milliliters (about 4 teaspoons) of an alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash.
2. Swish for 30 seconds, gargling at the back of your throat in the last 10 seconds.
3. Use twice a day after brushing.

Mouthwash won’t dissolve a stone, but it cuts the bacterial load in your mouth, lessens the sulfur smell stones release, and helps prevent new stones from forming. If mouthwash stings, switch to a milder alcohol-free therapeutic rinse or ask your dentist which product is right for you.

Wait and Improve Oral Hygiene

Most tonsil stones fall out on their own.¹⁶ If a stone isn’t painful and isn’t causing bad breath, daily brushing, flossing, tongue scraping, and a salt-water gargle help the process along.⁵

This is the right approach if the stone is small, deep in a crypt, or hard to see. Forced removal of a stuck stone risks more harm than letting it work itself out. The AAFP also notes that antibiotics are not needed for uncomplicated tonsil stones — wait, rinse, and let the stone pass.²

What Not to Do

Three things to avoid when removing a tonsil stone at home:

• Sharp objects — toothpicks, dental picks, tweezers, fingernails. Tonsils bleed easily and an accidental nick can lead to infection.³
• Your fingers — bacteria from your hands can be pushed into the tonsil tissue, and the pressure can injure delicate surfaces.³
• Hard pressure — pushing into the stone rather than around it can drive the stone deeper into the crypt and damage the tonsil.

If a stone won’t come out with the methods above, stop and see a dentist or doctor. Repeated home attempts on a stubborn stone almost always cause more irritation than the stone itself.

When Home Removal Isn’t Enough: Professional Options

A dentist can remove tonsil stones that won’t dislodge with home methods, and an ENT (ear, nose, and throat specialist) can handle large or recurring stones with a procedure called coblation cryptolysis.⁶ Tonsil stones aren’t contagious — they form from your own oral environment, not from someone else’s — but they can recur if the underlying conditions remain.

For repeated, bothersome stones, an ENT may discuss tonsillectomy, a surgery that removes the tonsils entirely.⁷ Professional guidance generally favors expectant care, good oral hygiene, and in-office removal for symptomatic tonsil stones. Tonsillectomy is rarely the first answer and usually comes up only when stones keep returning or are very bothersome, especially alongside other reasons to remove the tonsils — such as recurrent infections or sleep-related symptoms.⁸ Risks include postoperative bleeding and infection.⁷

For the full surgical-removal options and recovery details, see our sister article on whether tonsil stones are contagious, which covers coblation cryptolysis and tonsillotomy in depth.

When to See a Dentist or Doctor

Go to an emergency room or call 911 right away if you have trouble breathing, can’t swallow your own saliva, are drooling because you can’t swallow, notice rapid swelling on one side of your throat, have a muffled “hot potato” voice, or can’t open your mouth. These signs point to a peritonsillar abscess or airway problem — not a routine tonsil stone — and they need immediate care.¹

For non-urgent symptoms, see a dentist, doctor, or ENT if your tonsil stones are large, painful, or keep coming back — or if they come with fever, swollen tonsils, or trouble swallowing. Specific reasons to book a visit:

• Stones that recur after each removal
• Constant pain or discomfort that home care doesn’t fix
• Trouble talking or sleeping tied to the stones
• A tonsil or throat infection alongside the stones, or one-sided throat pain
• Anyone immunocompromised — Dr. Nandita Lilly, NewMouth’s medical reviewer, recommends that immunocompromised patients with chronic tonsil stones see both a dentist and an ENT for evaluation and treatment.

How to Prevent Tonsil Stones from Coming Back

Tonsil stones come back when the same conditions — debris in the crypts, dry mouth, infrequent gargling — recur.⁵ Three habits prevent most recurrences:

• Brush twice a day and floss daily, paying attention to the back of the tongue. A tongue scraper helps clear bacteria that drift into the tonsillar crypts.
• Gargle warm salt water after meals if you’re prone to stones. This clears debris before it can calcify.²
• Reduce dry-mouth triggers — stay hydrated, limit alcohol and tobacco, and treat chronic post-nasal drip if it’s a factor.

If stones keep returning despite consistent prevention, the cause may be unusually deep or enlarged tonsils with crypts that trap more debris. Talk to an ENT about whether in-office cryptolysis is appropriate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why am I getting tonsil stones?

Tonsil stones form when food debris, dead cells, mucus, and bacteria collect in the small pockets (crypts) on the surface of your tonsils and harden into pebble-like deposits. People with deeper crypts, chronic post-nasal drip, or dry mouth get them more often. See the tonsil stones overview for the full causes.

Do tonsil stones go away on their own?

Yes, most small tonsil stones fall out on their own.¹⁶ Daily brushing, flossing, and a salt-water gargle help the process along. Stones that don’t pass after a few weeks, or that come with pain, should be checked by a dentist.

What drink dissolves tonsil stones?

No drink dissolves tonsil stones. Warm salt-water gargles (1 teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of water) are the safer supported rinse and help loosen stones so they’re easier to dislodge.² Skip acidic and carbonated drinks as a “remedy” — they don’t remove stones and frequent exposure wears down tooth enamel.⁴

What kills the smell of tonsil stones?

Removing the stone usually clears the odor it was causing — the sulfur compounds inside the stone are the source.⁴ Alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash and tongue scraping help reduce lingering smell while you work the stone loose.⁵ If bad breath sticks around after the stone is gone and your hygiene is on track, see a dentist to check for gum disease, dry mouth, or another cause.

Can I remove tonsil stones with my finger?

No. Bacteria from your fingers can be pushed into the tonsil tissue and cause infection, and the pressure can injure the delicate surface.³ Use a clean, wet cotton swab or a low-pressure water flosser instead.

Are tonsil stones contagious?

No — tonsil stones are not contagious. They form from your own debris and bacteria; you cannot catch them from another person or pass them to a partner. Learn more in our guide on whether tonsil stones are contagious.