Looking beyond those pearly white teeth, straight as a picket fence, can sometimes be difficult but with the help of this article on the salivary glands you will be one step closer to staying on top of your oral hygiene. This is the last article in a series of four essential articles on oral anatomy to keep your dental hygiene at its best. Don’t forget that preventative screenings with your dentist will help with early detection and correction of health threatening conditions like gum disease, decay, and oral cancer. No article would be complete either without the encouragement for smoking and tobacco cessation. Use of tobacco products greatly increases your risk for harmful oral disease and cancer not to mention the cost to your wallet when regular cleanings aren’t enough to keep the residue build-up at bay.
This article will discuss stones in the salivary ducts, inflammation of the salivary glands, and viruses that affect our salivary glands. We have 3 (a total of 6) salivary glands in the mouth. The parotid glands are the largest of the three followed by the submandibular (below the bottom portion of the jaw) and sublingual (under the tongue) glands. The salivary glands are important for just that, producing saliva. So why do we have saliva? Saliva carries essential enzymes necessary for the initial breakdown of carbohydrates (starches, sugars, etc.) in our mouth. This is the first chemical breakdown of food in our mouth. We also mechanically break down our food with our teeth when chewing.
Problems can arise in the salivary glands that may be confused with jaw pain or perhaps feel like a cavity due to the glands close proximity to the teeth and jaw bone. Salivary duct stones can form and usually cause pain when the mouth waters in response to a familiar smell of your favorite food. This is because the glands are trying to secrete saliva, but the saliva is blocked by the stone creating a lot of back pressure. Most stones are small enough for a patient to pass on their own, but check with your dentist or doctor.
Similarly, the salivary glands can become inflamed. Inflammation of any of the salivary glands can be caused by a number of things including, obstruction, infection, allergies, poor oral hygiene and systemic diseases like diabetes or lupus. In this case, the glands are going to be very painful and tender to touch. Of special note, inflammation of the parotid salivary gland due to the Mumps virus is common in un-immunized children. In the United States, the Mumps vaccine is on the general schedule of childhood immunizations, however the number of un-immunized children in the U.S. is rising and more mumps infections are being seen.
Tags: dental hygiene, oral anatomy, oral hygiene, parotid glands, picket fence, salivary duct stones, salivary ducts, salivary glands, straight teeth, tobacco cessation