Types and methods of treatment of salivary gland inflammation

What are salivary glands and what are they for?

A person has two types of salivary glands: three pairs of large ones (parotid, sublingual and submandibular) and many small ones located on the mucous membrane inside the oral cavity. All of them secrete saliva, which performs a number of functions:

moisturizes the mucous membrane;
provides protection, because microorganisms that are friendly to us feel good in a moist environment;
contributes to the beginning of digestion of food begins already in the oral cavity due to the presence of digestive enzymes.

Saliva contains mineral components necessary for the human body. Actually, when you come to the dentist for professional hygiene, the plaque and tartar that he cleans from your teeth are formed precisely from the remains of these minerals.

Why salivary glands can become inflamed and hurt

The oral cavity is still a dirty environment, so it is not surprising that the salivary glands can also get an infection. If you experience a small, pea-sized swelling inside your mouth that does not go away within a week, it is most likely sialoadenitis. In the acute stage, the salivary gland swells and hurts, and this condition is usually successfully treated with medication. But if the inflammation occurred because the duct of the salivary gland was blocked by a stone, the person needs surgical intervention.

Salivary gland disease is not always inflammation and swelling. For example, cysts and other neoplasms of large salivary glands look like lumps and can cause only aesthetic discomfort. But this does not make them safe, because the same pleomorphic adenoma – the most common neoplasm in adults – is prone to malignancy (transformation into a malignant tumor). Therefore, when you see a lump near the ear in a child or in yourself, make an appointment with a maxillofacial surgeon. If the submandibular gland hurts, this may indicate that a cyst has most likely formed and inflammation has begun.

Types of inflammation of the salivary glands

In addition to the fact that sialoadenitis is acute and chronic, they are also distinguished by origin. Thus, three types of sialoadenitis can be distinguished:

• infectious (viral) sialoadenitis, when an infection enters the salivary gland through the duct and the gland becomes inflamed;
• concrementous, when a stone (stones) is formed in the body of the gland itself;
• traumatic – mostly occur on the small salivary glands on the lip or cheeks, when a person bites the lip and injures the salivary gland or its duct. The gland on the cheek continues to produce saliva, but it does not find an outlet, so inflammation occurs. Such sialoadenitis can turn into a cyst.

Tumor diseases of the salivary glands should be noted separately – as a rule, large parotid or submandibular, when a benign or malignant tumor forms in the body of the gland.

Is it possible to remove or cure inflammation of the salivary gland at home

In order to cure sialoadenitis, it is necessary to know exactly its nature: whether it is infectious, calculous or traumatic. Or maybe, in fact, the patient is worried about a cyst or a pleomorphic adenoma? Only a maxillofacial surgeon can determine this, accordingly, he also prescribes therapy (antibiotics, painkillers, etc.) for inflammation of the salivary gland.

Trying to self-treat (cleanse the salivary gland at home) at best will not help, and at worst will seriously harm, because there is a risk of introducing an infection. Rinsing the salivary gland makes no sense, because it will not help the stone to come out of the duct. Yes, traditional medicine advises warming the sources of inflammation, but when it comes to the face and neck, this should not be done in any case, because it will lead to the formation of phlegmon – necrotic inflammation with pus spilling into the surrounding tissues. In this case, a person needs an operation with an external incision, after which a rough scar remains, because it is impossible to sew up the wound after removing the phlegmon.

Why stones can form in the salivary glands

Organs that produce fluid are prone to stone formation. This is the case with the kidneys, gall bladder, and salivary glands. In addition to other elements, saliva contains minerals. And if the gland does not work very actively and does not produce enough liquid fraction to wash them, then they settle and accumulate inside the gland or in its duct. Thus, a concretion (stone) begins to form. When the chemical composition of saliva normalizes, it produces more fluid, and these stones come out on their own. But if the stone managed to grow large, it blocks the channel and saliva has nowhere to go. Or there are so many stones that they fill the entire gland.

Which doctor treats inflammation of the salivary glands

Everything related to the treatment of inflammatory diseases of soft tissues, neoplasms of the face and neck and salivary glands is the area of ​​responsibility of the maxillofacial surgeon. Even if a person first turned to a dentist, he will not be able to provide help in all cases. So, in case of infectious sialoadenitis, the dentist-therapist will prescribe conservative treatment, but if a stone is detected in the salivary gland, he will not perform surgery himself, because this is a completely different specialty, not to mention the lack of necessary conditions in the dental institution. The doctor will refer you to an maxillofacial surgeon or at least a dental surgeon.

How is the treatment of sialoadenitis

Treatment of sialoadenitis depends on what exactly caused the inflammation. The diagnosis is made on the basis of computer tomography. Medicines are prescribed for the treatment of infectious sialoadenitis. If we are talking about calcifying sialoadenitis, the size and location of the stone are important:

• if the stone is small and does not completely block the duct, you can try to start with drug therapy so that it leaves the gland on its own;
• a large stone located in the duct and obstructing the flow of saliva is surgically removed in about 15 minutes;
• if this stone is located deeper, inside the gland, the operation may last 1-1.5 hours;
• when there are many small stones in the gland, it has to be removed completely.

During surgical interventions on the salivary glands, we at the Sirius-Dent clinic prefer classical surgical instruments, because a scalpel cut on the mucosa heals better and faster than a laser burn. In addition, if we cut out the gland completely, we have material to send for histology. Thus, rehabilitation of patients is faster and easier.

When one salivary gland is removed, others compensate for its absence, so the saliva production function as a whole will not be affected.