calcium buildup on back of teeth

calcium buildup on back of teeth

i’m about to show you one of the most revoltingpieces of footage i’ve ever seen. you’ve been warned. alright, i know that was deeply h... Januari 06, 2017

i’m about to show you one of the most revoltingpieces of footage i’ve ever seen. you’ve been warned. alright, i know that was deeply horrifying,so let me explain. what i just showed you was called a “tonsil stone,” or a “tonsillolith.”and they’re really common. in fact, you might have them in your mouth right now. i’m anna rothschild, and this is gross science. tonsil stones often occur if you’ve hadrepeated bouts of tonsillitis, or if you just have large-ish tonsils with lots of nooksand crannies. you might not even know you have them, cause they can grow behind thetonsil where you can’t see them.

there aren’t great estimates for how manypeople have tonsil stones. but in one small study of 150 ct scans of people’s heads,about 24% showed signs of them. though i’ve seen other studies with higher and lower numbers,as well. there’s some debate about how exactly theyform, but what we know is that dead cells, mucus, and food get trapped in the crevicesof the tonsil and harden, or “calcify.” most of the time, the stones are so smallthat they don’t pose a problem. but when they’re larger they can cause sore throats,ear pain, and really bad breath. that’s because bacteria and other microbes will feaston the globs of organic matter, and the sulfurous waste products they release give off a deeplyunpleasant scent.

if you have tonsil stones and they botheryou, some people recommend gargling with salt water or other special mouthwashes, flushingthem out with a water pick, or popping them out with something soft like your finger ora cotton swab. and if the problem gets really severe, your doctor might recommend a tonsillectomyor procedure to smooth out the tonsils. on a personal note, i actually know what havingtonsil stones is like. a bunch of years ago i kept coming down with tonsillitis, and alongwith it i developed some small tonsil stones. because i’m me, i was kinda just fascinatedby the whole thing. but, i was totally relieved when they went away. ew.

i don’t know about you, but i find thistopic especially gross. why do you think that is? let me know in the comments. and for moregross science, hit subscribe.