have you ever had a salivary stone? i have one right now and it's super annoying

• Dr. Pimple Popper cut open and squeezed what looked like an abscess above a patient’s lip, only to eject “a little river rock.”
• The growth is probably a salivary duct stone, which is like a kidney stone for the mouth.
• Sialothiasis can be a surprise for non-dental medical professionals and usually shows up in the jaw, but occasionally the stones develop around the lip.

Even Dr. Pimple Popper can be surprised by what slips out of her incisions. In a new Instagram video, Sandra Lee, MD, uprooter of countless deposits of puffy keratin goo and gelatinous skin slime, opens what looked like an abscess above a patient’s lip. With one quick pinch between her finger and thumb, a small calcified mass plops out onto her thumbnail.

“It’s like, you know, a little river rock,” remarks the TLC host. Dr. Pimple Popper then shows the stone's release again in slow motion.

The "stone" was probably sialolithiasis, which are like kidney stones for your mouth. Also called salivary duct stones, they are crystalized components of spit, which occur in 1.2 percent of the population. Rarely do the stones grow larger than a centimeter. Sialothiasis most often develops in the jaw, sometimes causing pain while eating, and can lead to pain and infection. However, some stones show up in the lip.

Home remedies for getting rid of salivary stones include:

• Sucking on citrus fruits or hard candies. Sucking on a wedge of lemon or orange increases the flow of saliva, which can help dislodge the stone. A person can also try sucking on sugar-free gum or hard, sour candies, such as lemon drops.
• Drinking plenty of fluids. Regular fluid intake helps keep the mouth hydrated and can increase saliva flow.
• Gentle massage. Gently massaging the affected area may relieve pain and encourage the stone to pass through the salivary duct. The Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation have an illustrated guide on how to do this on their website.
• Medications. Some over-the-counter drugs, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, can help relieve pain and swelling.
• Sucking on ice cubes. Sucking on something cold, such as an ice cube or ice pop, may also help reduce pain and swelling resulting from salivary stones.