You cough—and out pops a tiny, white, foul-smelling pebble. Or maybe you’ve noticed persistent bad breath that brushing won’t fix, or a nagging feeling that something’s stuck in your throat.
Chances are, you’ve met tonsil stones (tonsilloliths)—harmless but annoying calcified deposits that form in the crevices of your tonsils. They’re incredibly common (up to 25% of adults get them), not dangerous, and not a sign of poor hygiene. But they are treatable—and preventable.