(Founder, Sydney Forbes | Photos courtesy of Tonsil Tech)
Tonsil Tech was founded in 2020 with the goal of bringing a safe and easy tonsil stone removal solution to market. “In 2017 we were asked, ‘What are ten things in the medical field you want to change?’ and tonsil stones was at the top of our list. This question sparked the idea to work on tonsil stones which at the time was not openly discussed,” said Sydney Forbes, co-founder and CEO of Tonsil Tech.
Tonsil stones are the soft calcifications of food, mucus and bacteria that form in the pits of people’s tonsils. They look like little bumpy white Nerds candy and have a strong, pungent odor that contributes to bad breath. Tonsil stones affect over one in ten people, but there is a higher concentration among those in their 40s and younger because doctors stopped performing routine tonsillectomies on children in the 1980s. Forbes and her team are working to create awareness around this oral care issue so the next generation has a safe way to remove tonsil stones at home. No more having to use their fingers, bobby pins and chopsticks to remove tonsil stones!
The products that Forbes found across the market for tonsil stones were originally developed for other parts of the body like ears and noses that do not take into account the safety concerns of the back of the throat. Tonsil Tech set out to engineer a tool to safely remove tonsil stone without the risk of choking so a key design feature is no detachable tips.
With such a common problem and an oral care industry that has yet to offer a true solution, Forbes and the team at Tonsil Tech got to work on building their own tonsil stone removal kit, completely from the ground up. Simply loop, scoop and pull the stones out, and find immediate relief to that bad breath.
The results speak for themselves. One happy customer shared the following review: “I have suffered from tonsil stones since I was a child. When I have them, I obsess over them, trying to remove them with my tongue, a Q-tip, or at times more dangerous objects when I was desperate. Tonsil Tech Stone Removal Kits is now one of my most prized and valued possessions. The design of the tools is perfect. I have never been able to remove my tonsil stones so easily and so safely. I would recommend this product to anyone who gets tonsil stones. It’s brought me so much relief.”
Forbes said that her ultimate goal with Tonsil Tech is to normalize the issue by getting the tools in more retail spaces, so that as people walk down the oral care aisles and see a product for tonsil stones, they know that they are not alone in this issue.
Along the way, Forbes has learned a lot about what it takes to be a founder and run a successful startup. For Tonsil Tech, she talked about how important it is to set up a supply chain that can scale with demand, as well as making connections within the business community and collaborating with other founders. Being based in Bend allows Forbes to tap into Oregon’s thriving community of founders and connect with organizations like Cultivate Bend that champion local consumer product brands.
For more information on Tonsil Tech and their tonsil stone solutions, please visit tonsiltech.com and you can find their products locally at Market of Choice, Newport Avenue Market and Local Acres.
