Tonsil Stones
Now, tonsil stones may not cause life-threatening health problems, but having even one such stone can be a burdensome experience. Picture this. You wake up to bad breath that keeps on getting worse despite all your oral interventions. Your eating, drinking, and swallowing becomes painful. Worse still, you experience difficulty in breathing as the tiny yellow or white formations within the pockets of the tonsils grow in size. Then, what causes tonsils in the first place? How can you know that you have them? And, which is the proper treatment for tonsil stones? Here is a quick guide by our Austin Preventative Dentistry team.
Causes
Tonsil stones form when bacteria, debris, mucus, or food particles get trapped in between the tonsils. Some people have large tonsils that create deep pits and craters conducive for tonsil stones to form. When the particles build up in these spaces, the tonsils make it hard to flush them out, even when observing proper oral hygiene.
Second, when you have inflammation in your tonsils or chronic sinus problems, it can result in tonsil stones. Chronic tonsillitis is a result of a bacterial or viral infection. If left untreated, the infection may extend to the middle ear. Plus, persistent difficult breathing causes sleep apnea.
Symptoms
The two most common symptoms of tonsil stones are bad breath and chronic discomfort. Due to the bacterial buildup, you will start getting a foul smell from the back of your throat. Also, you may struggle with a sore throat that can be persistent for up to a month. As the infection spreads toward the middle ear, you may experience pain or pressure in your ears.
Treatment
The best treatment for tonsil stones is practicing good oral hygiene. That is, the Austin Preventative Dentistry can help you learn more about proper brushing and flossing teeth, cleaning the tongue, gargle, and observe clean eating.
Still, the Austin Invisalign Dentistry team has to address the infection in the tonsils and prevent it from spreading to the teeth and gums. Here, they may order for a throat culture or a rapid strep test to determine the root cause. Then, they will prescribe a series of antibiotics to treat it completely.
In some instances, where medication alone is not sufficient, surgery may be necessary. Surgical removal of tonsils is appropriate when the infections keep recurring or develop into other serious health complications. Or, where the larger tonsils severely interfere with your breathing, swallowing, or trigger other dental issues. The Austin Cosmetic Dentistry will explain the options available to you to make an informed decision.
Note that the bacteria responsible for tonsil stones can also cause tooth decay. Hence, a delay in seeking treatment can complicate your situation. You may end up having to deal with correcting your smile at the Austin Invisalign Dentistry due to tooth decay.
What Next?
Are tonsil stones making your daily routines unbearable? Plan to get them checked before they disrupt your life even more. We are at Austin Dental Center pride ourselves in using the latest technologies to treat all oral ailments with compassion. In particular, our Austin Cosmetic Dentistry team will help you with ways to correct any structural anomaly arising from the infection. Then, get in touch today for your appointment. Or, get more information about tonsil stones from the Toothbar.