Anatomy of the salivary glands

The salivary glands comprise the parotid, the submandibular and the sublingual glands as well as small subsidiary glands scattered beneath the mucosa of the buccal cavity. The largest, the parotid, drains by its duct into the mouth at the level of the second upper molar tooth. It is traversed by the facial nerve, which may be invaded by a parotid carcinoma or damaged during parotid surgery. The submandibular gland has a superficial part, at the angle of the jaw, wedged between the mandible and the mylohyoid muscle. Its deep part projects deep to mylohyoid along the hyoglossus. Its duct opens alongside the fraenum of the tongue, where it is easily visible, and is crossed by the lingual nerve. The sublingual gland lies in the floor of the mouth into which it drains directly by a series of short ducts.