Tonsil stones and bad breath

Bad breath has a number of causes, but generally it is put down to food and salivary debris getting trapped in periodontal pockets (around the teeth). This organic debris slowly decomposes, releasing foul smelling odours associated with bacteria that cause putrefaction, or basically, decomposition.

Often overlooked though are the cracks and holes that develop in the tonsils, often much bigger than periodontal pockets, where a lot of food and salivary debris can collect, often causing bad taste along with bad breath. Laser tonsillectomy under local anaesthetic spray can remove these defects, as they are usually relatively superficial in the tonsil.