Patients are generally not advised to pick out tonsil stones themselves.
Tonsil stones are usually caused by a decrease in the self-cleaning function of the tonsil crypts, resulting in the secretions, shedding of epithelium, and some residual food stored in the crypts, forming small yellowish-white particles with a foul odor.
Most of the tonsil stones can be dislodged by themselves when they grow to a certain size, or they can be discharged by coughing and other unintentional actions. Patients can gargle with salt water or boric acid mouthwash, which should be fully lifted from the teeth and gums to repeatedly clean all parts of the mouth.
It is generally not recommended that patients remove stones by themselves, because patients in the process of removal, due to improper operation or use of sharp instruments may damage the tonsil mucosa or damage to the fingers caused by infection, and even cause bleeding and pain, in the hospital smaller stones can be used with clean cotton swabs, spatulas, or oral irrigators (rinsing stones with water until loosened and discharged) to take out, or sucked out with negative pressure suction.