Anatomy - Salivary Gland

Main Salivary Glands

• There are 3 pairs of main salivary glands: - Parotid Gland - Submandibular Gland - Sublingual Glands

• Plus small innumerable glands

  • scattered in the mucous membrane of the oral cavity.

Minor Salivary Glands

Parotid Gland

• Serous cells only.

• On the side of the face, deep to the skin, subcutaneous tissue, superficial to the masseter muscle.

• Tail of parotid extends superficial to SCM.

• Stensen’s duct begins at the anterior border of the gland 1.5cm below the zygoma.

• Traverses the masseter 5-6 cm, pierces the buccinator.

• Opens in the mouth lateral to the 2nd upper molar.

Submandibular Gland

• Mucous and serous cells.
• Submandibular triangle: between anterior and posterior bellies of digastrics’ and inferior margin of the mandible.
• Medial and inferior to the mandible.

Wharton’s Duct

• Exits the gland from the medial surface.
• Travels between the hyoglossus and mylohyoid muscles.
• Enters the genioglossus muscle.
• Opens into the mouth just lateral to the lingual frenulum.
• CN XII is inferior to the duct and the lingual nerve is superior to the duct.

Sublingual Glands

• Mucous secreting.
• Just below the floor of the mouth mucosa.
• Bordered by genioglossus/hyoglossus medially.
• Mandible laterally.
• Mylohyoid inferiorly.
• Wharton’s duct and lingual n. travel between the SL gland and genioglossus muscle.
• No fascial capsule.

Ducts of Rivinus

• Ducts of Rivinus (~10) along the superior aspect of the gland.
• Open into the mouth along the sublingual fold in the floor of the mouth.

Minor Salivary Glands

• Either mucous/serous or both.
• 600-1000/person.
• Each gland has its own duct.
• Found most commonly in the buccal, labial, palatal, and lingual regions.