Bad Breath? Tonsil Stones Could Be the Hidden Culprit—Here’s What to Do

No matter how well you brush your teeth or how many breath mints you pop, you can’t quite seem to shake that stubborn case of bad breath. What’s going on? Many things can cause bad breath, but one of the sneakiest culprits is something called tonsil stones. Studies show that 40 percent of people have had tonsil stones at some point, though it’s easy to write off the symptoms as something else. Keep reading to understand what tonsil stones are, symptoms to watch for and how to get rid of them quickly.What are tonsil stones and how do they form?“Tonsil stones are small, pebble-like lumps made from food debris, bacteria, dead cells and/or mucus that form in the pockets of the tonsils,” says Brynna Connor, MD, Healthcare Ambassador at NorthWestPharmacy.com. If these deposits get trapped in the tonsil folds, “over time, they harden and calcify into what are known as tonsil stones.”It’s possible to have a tonsil stone and not even realize it. However, chronic bad breath, an unpleasant taste...