Salivary Gland

Salivary Gland services offered in Chelmsford, Concord and Woburn, MA and Nashua and Derry, NH

Thanks to your salivary glands, your mouth stays moist, and you can prepare the foods you eat for digestion before they reach your stomach. With locations in Chelmsford, Woburn, and Concord, Massachusetts, as well as Nashua and Derry, New Hampshire, Massachusetts Ear, Nose and Throat Associates provides expert care for various salivary gland disorders and infections. To schedule your appointment with a team of experienced ear, nose, and throat specialists, call Massachusetts Ear, Nose and Throat Associates or book online today.

What are salivary glands?

Your salivary glands are the structures in your mouth that produce saliva. Saliva is important for digestion as it prepares the food you eat to go to your stomach. It’s also important for keeping your mouth moist and plays a role in maintaining the health of your teeth.

While you have many small salivary glands, there are three significant large ones behind your jaw: the parotid gland, the sublingual gland, and the submandibular gland. Several salivary disorders can affect the function of these glands, leading to a dry mouth, among other symptoms and potential complications.

The team at Massachusetts Ear, Nose and Throat Associates evaluates your salivary glands and can conduct treatment for various salivary gland disorders.

What can go wrong with my salivary glands?

There are several problems that can affect your salivary glands and limit their function. A few salivary gland disorders that the team at Massachusetts Ear, Nose and Throat Associates treats are:

Sialadenitis and other infections

Sialadenitis is an infection of one of your salivary glands. Its symptoms include dry mouth, mouth pain, and swelling in your cheek or neck. Other infections, like the mumps, can affect the salivary glands, too.

Salivary stones

Salivary stones are calcified deposits that build up in your salivary glands. Eventually, they cause the glands to swell and become tender or painful. The gland can become infected if you don’t clear the blockage.

Cysts and tumors

Salivary gland cysts and tumors are different types of growths that can appear on the salivary gland. If the team at Massachusetts Ear, Nose and Throat Associates suspects you have a cyst or tumor on a salivary gland, they check the growth for cancer with a biopsy.

How are salivary gland problems treated?

Your treatment for a salivary gland disorder depends on your diagnosis. The team at Massachusetts Ear, Nose and Throat Associates offers surgical and non-surgical treatment options and makes personalized recommendations after they diagnose you.

Non-surgical care for a salivary gland blockage may involve warm compresses, the physical removal of stones, or eating sour candies to promote saliva production. If efforts like these do not alleviate your symptoms, you might need salivary gland surgery to remove a blockage or growth.

For bacterial infections of the salivary glands like sialadenitis, prescribed antibiotics may be necessary.

If you experience dry mouth, facial pain, and other symptoms of a possible salivary gland disorder, call Massachusetts Ear, Nose and Throat Associates or book an appointment online today.