About five days ago, Brandon Douglas noticed that he had some swelling under his tongue, on his sublingual gland. There was some pus and mucus collecting in the area, so he went to consult his dentist.
The dentist told him there was probably a stone developing, potentially from not staying hydrated. “I stay pretty hydrated,” Douglas worried, “so I’m hoping it was a fluke.”
Over the next four days, Douglas endured “very unpleasant” pain in his mouth because of this salivary stone.
A salivary stone collects when chemicals in your saliva accumulate. Doctors have been unable to determine the precise cause of salivary stones, but suspect that dehydration, poor diet, or certain medications can encourage their development.
More often than not, patients will have to make an appointment with a doctor to get the stone removed.
For Douglas, however, this wasn’t the case.
On the fifth day of his pain, he began to feel something poking him in his mouth, so he hurried to the bathroom.
When Douglas pushed his tongue toward the roof of his mouth, a white stone began to emerge from under his tongue – and it only continues to extend.
The stone in its entirety is about one-and-a-half inches long, and by the time it falls out of the hole, Douglas cusses, out of pain and relief.
You can watch the entire ordeal for yourself: