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Having a sensitive gag reflex makes removing tonsil stones an annoying and difficult task. Thankfully, there are some options for those who have a sensitive gag reflex. Here are the most effective ways to remove tonsil stones without gagging:
Vigorous Gargling
If you’re trying to remove tonsil stones without gagging, vigorous gargling may be your solution. Vigorous gargling can be done to dislodge tonsil stones without having to poke around the back of your throat.
How To Do It: Using plain water, a warm salt water mixture, mouthwash or any other rinse of your choosing; tilt your head back and gargle as vigorously as you can. Try to make an effort to make sure the rinse is hitting your tonsils. Repeat until you spit out the tonsil stone(s).
Check out this video of a dental assistant explaining how to rinse and gargle properly:
Notice the sound she makes as she gargles the mouthwash. Making that audible gargling sound is what’s going to help the mouthwash hit the tonsils, so be sure to gargle loudly.
This can be done in the shower if you’re worried about making a mess.
Use Your Tongue
Some people are able to push out their tonsil stones by using the back of their tongue to apply pressure on the side of the tonsil. This is similar to using your finger to squeeze out tonsil stones, but using your tongue will not trigger your gag reflex.
How To Do It: Using the back of your tongue, push your tongue up against your tonsil in attempt to move the tonsil stone out of the tonsil. Do this a few times until the tonsil stone is pushed out.
Be sure to have a cup of water or mouthwash nearby in case the tonsil stone falls on your tongue. This way, you can easily gargle and spit it out.
Blast Out Tonsil Stones With A Water Flosser
Click HERE To See The Water Flosser On Amazon
This is my favorite method for removing tonsil stones quickly, easily and with minimal-to-no gagging. You can use a device called a “Water Flosser” to shoot a stream of water toward your tonsils/into the tonsil crypts to allow the tonsil stones to flow out.
How To Do It: Use a flashlight and mirror to locate your tonsils and tonsil stones. Lean over the sink to avoid mess. Point the tip of the Water Flosser as close to the tonsil/tonsil stones as you can. Turn on the Water Flosser so that the water flows (be sure to put it on a gentle setting). Feel relief as the tonsil stones fall out!
Want to know more about this method? Click here to see an article where I talk about this method in more detail.
Create A “Vacuum”
Sucking on a thick smoothie through a straw or sucking on your tongue/teeth/inside of your cheeks will create a “vacuum” effect inside of your mouth. This may help loosen the tonsil stone or get it to come out fully.
How To Do It: Make a sucking motion by either sucking on a thick smoothie through a straw or sucking on your own tongue/teeth/inside of your cheeks. Continue doing so until the tonsil stone becomes loose. Once the tonsil stone is loose enough or fully dislodged, cough it out or gargle it out with a mouth rinse of your choosing.
Be careful not to choke on or swallow the stone once it’s dislodged (although swallowing a tonsil stone is harmless, so don’t worry if you do).
Flex Your Tonsils And Throat
Using your throat muscles to flex your tonsils and throat may help the stone make it’s way out of your tonsil. This may be more effective if coupled with another method such as vigorous gargling.
How To Do It: Using your throat muscles, continuously flex your tonsils and throat. Try doing it quickly to encourage the tonsil stone to loosen and dislodge. Alternate with vigorous gargling, pushing against your tonsil with your tongue and/or any other method in order to get the tonsil stone out quickly and easily.
As always, be sure to have water or mouthwash near you so you can easily gargle and spit out the tonsil stone when it loosens or dislodges from your tonsil.
Put Salt On Your Tongue
If you find that you can’t remove your tonsil stones with any of the methods listed above, try this one out. It sounds odd, but putting salt on your tongue takes away your gag reflex!
How To Do It: Take a pinch (or more if necessary) of regular table salt and put it on your tongue. Now go ahead and remove your tonsil stones however you choose (with your finger, a q-tip, etc.). You may be surprised by how well it works!
Putting salt on your tongue works like a charm! It’s a tried-and-true method that’s often used on dental patients who have sensitive gag reflexes. This is a perfect way to suppress the gag reflex for those who have tonsil stones that are too difficult to remove via the other methods on this list.
If All Else Fails…. Desensitize Your Gag Reflex!
I know, I know… Not exactly what you want to hear. But if you’re unable to go under the knife or laser for a tonsillectomy to get rid of tonsil stones, desensitizing your gag reflex will be of tremendous benefit to you. Doing so will allow you to remove/prevent your tonsil stones quickly and with ease.
How To Do It: Using your toothbrush, slowly brush further back on your tongue for a few seconds. It may feel a little uncomfortable and you may gag a bit, but it will get easier over time. As the days go by, you’ll find that you’re able to brush further and further back on your tongue without gagging. This must be done daily for good results. Eventually, you should be able to remove your tonsil stones with no problem.
This article will teach you how to desensitize your gag reflex in much more detail. I highly recommend reading it if you’re looking to lessen or get rid of your gag reflex.
It’s the method I personally used to desensitize my gag reflex while I was trying to get rid of my tonsil stones. And trust me… If I can do it, so can you! I had a horrible gag reflex, but eventually (after about 2-3 weeks or so) I was able to reach my tonsils without any fear of gagging.
I hope this information helps you! I realize how difficult it is to remove tonsil stones without gagging when you have a sensitive gag reflex, but you may find that one of these methods works perfectly for getting the annoying things out.
If you’re interested in more information on getting rid of tonsil stones, check out my top article:
How To Get Rid Of Tonsil Stones
Tbh, I finally gave up and used an OTC phenol throat spray. Numbs the throat enough that the gag reflex goes away. Tastes odd and uncomfortable, but better than vomiting. Plus the gargling helps get you started.
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That’s a great idea- I’m glad it worked for you. Non-gagging options can work but unfortunately nothing really beats getting past the gag reflex when it comes to removing tonsil stones.