I've done research on this myself. I've noticed that I form these white balls after eating (oatmeal, oat cereal, chocolate chip cookies and peanuts) These white balls are nothing but food particles and a possible reaction/allergy to these foods. If you don't believe me, eat at least 6 chips ahoy cookies and peanuts and check your throat in two days. It's interesting. I tried this for almost 6 months to make sure that this was causing my the trigger of white balls in my throat. I hope this helps

This is all very useful, but how do you get past the gag reflex?

I found the safest way to remove the nasty critters from the pocket of my throat is by using a water pick that cleans food from your teeth. I fill the water pick container with warm water and a little salt, lean over the sink and squirt the water towards the back of the throat area on the side that has the ball (check out the balls with a flash light). Don't apply too much pressure with the water pick or you will injury yourself. Leave your mouth open when squirting and ensure you're leaning over the sink when doing this. The ball eventually drops from the pocket/back of throat and I spit it out. I was told by my doctor that the balls are from bits of food that accumulate in the pocket of our throat and builds up to a nasty smelling ball. Hope this works for you.

Removal! I have been getting these for years and find them mostly an annoyance. Interestingly, my tonsils were removed when I was a kid so it would appear you can get them regardless. For those of you that are looking for ways to remove them, if you can't slide them out with your pinky nail or if you have a high gag factor like me try going to some place like Radio Shack and buy a mechanical solder sucker. It is a spring loaded tool about 6 or 8 inches long that creates a quick burst of vacuum and if held against one of these stones will quickly and easily remove it. The only negative aspect of this is cleaning the tool....ewww!

well be careful with what u put back there cause u could hurt yourself and cause a way bigger infection. that said, i had them for years growing up and suffered horrific bad breath...the worst i had caused so much pain and bad breath i couldnt eat and got a fever. i pried it out and suddenly i was fine. Now i have one i cant see/ reach back there for weeks and cant go to a doctor...why do i have these problems???/

i have been getting these things on and off for a couple years now....my tonsils are unusually large (several doctors/dentists have commented on them). These "tonsil stones" always start out as an uncomfortable feeling in my throat and feeling like i have something stuck in my throat for several days before the white dots appear. I thought they were white dots until i read some of these posts and just massaged my tonsil with my finger and all these white "balls" came out...gooey smelly things....

i still feel like i have something stuck in my throat so i have been doing what i usually do....gargle with warm salt water several times a day, change my toothbrush, and brush my teeth several times a day until they are all gone.

My doctor insists that my tonsils do not need to be removed, but after i saw all that stuff come out i am not convinced.....

Oh I am SO glad I checked on line about this. I'm not sure exactly what this is but I had it too. I just pulled six of those little hard white balls out of my throat. It could be THE most DISGUSTING thing I have ever had to do to myself! But I hope that gets rid of the bad taste in my mouth!

I have been experiencing these white disguisting bumps for years. I can go a year or two without a single one but in the last few months i have had several. I am informed from my doc that they are called crypts and once you get them you have them for life. We all have craters on our tonsils and food gets stuck inside these crevices and a crypt develops and increases in size until either they fall out or you scrape the out. I use 2 Qtips I find i have to pull back the side of my throat exposing the entire tonsil ( which makes me gag ALOT ) and pick them out. I am informed the only way to solve this problem is the removal of my tonsils. I am definiately taking this route because these bumps have not only increased in size, cause bad breath, and cause me a sore throat. They are disguisting and a nuisance