Tonsil stones are best not picked off by yourself, as they can lead to inflammation and infection of the tonsils if you are not careful. It is best to go to the hospital for tonsil cleaning, or tonsil stone removal. Tonsil stones are caused by crystallization of tonsil secretions that cannot be removed due to blockage of the crypt opening on the tonsils. Patients usually have symptoms related to bad breath, swollen and painful tonsils, and congestion. On examination, a white granular neoplasm can be seen in the superior tonsillar fossa, which can fall off when the mouth is opened and is brittle and smelly. Generally, it occurs with prolonged intake of spicy and irritating food or repeated inflammatory infections. In terms of treatment, if it is an occasional stone, you can go to the hospital for tonsil cleaning, while if it is recurrent, you need to undergo surgery to remove the tonsils in order to cure it completely.