Salivary glands make as much as a quart of saliva each day. Saliva is important to lubricate mouth, help with swallowing, protect teeth against bacteria, and aid in the digestion of food. The three major pairs of salivary glands are parotid glands on the insides of the cheeks, submandibular glands at the floor of the mouth and sublingual glands under the tongue. There are also several hundred minor salivary glands throughout the mouth and throat.

SYMPTOMS

Salivary glands may suffer from tumors and inflammation. Tumors of the parotid glands may appear in the form of painless swelling in front or behind the ear. Tumors of the submandibular glands may show up as a swelling in the mandible. Inflammations of the salivary glands are usually caused by transient blockage of the saliva drainage because of salivary stones. They appear as painful swelling.

DIAGNOSIS

A physical examination is sufficient to confirm the diagnosis. Most tumors of the parotid glands are benign. In some cases, an imaging of the neck might be required to confirm the physical examination. If there are still doubts, a painless biopsy may be performed with an ultra-thin needle.

TREATMENT

Tumors of the salivary glands are treated surgically. When operated by a specialized surgeon, those operations are low risk. Tumors are removed by gaining access through thin incisions in front of the ears, just like the ones used by plastic surgeons for facelifts. Hence the aesthetic result is impeccable. Inflammations of the salivary glands are usually treated conservatively.

PROGNOSIS

Prognosis for the benign neoplasms of the salivary glands is excellent. After being operated the problem is solved permanently. Malignant neoplasms, which are more rare, require early intervention. The earlier they are detected and treated by a specialized surgeon, the better prognosis they have.