These are rare and virtually all are malignant. They are most common in the palate. The most common type is an adenoid cystic cancer which has a tendency to invade along nerves and has a high incidence of local recurrence irrespective of the treatment employed. Continue reading
There are three pairs of major salivary glands located in and around the mouth and throat: the parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands. The parotid glands are the largest and overlie the angle of the jaw in front of the ear. From the gland a duct drains saliva into the mouth. The submandibular glands lie deep to the horizontal portion of the lower jaw and their ducts enter the mouth under the tongue. The sublingual glands lie close to the submandibular ducts. Continue reading
The major salivary glands © Reed Group
Salivary glands are glands found in the mouth that makes saliva. The glands can be classified into two groups – major and minor salivary glands. Major salivary glands consist of three paired glands – the parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands while the minor ones are countless small glands located throughout the mouth. Saliva is essential for the normal functioning and health of the mouth.  Disorder of salivary glands function can lead to oral disease, for example tooth decay and gum disease.
The most common cause of a salivary gland lump is mumps, which usually affects children and typically causes painful swellings on both sides of the face. However there are many other causes of swelling in the salivary glands, for example salivary gland infection, salivary gland cancer, systemic diseases and drugs. Continue reading