Saliva plays a very important role in the human body. With its help, the chewed food is glued together, swallowed, as well as the perception of taste and protection of tooth enamel from damage. And special glands secrete saliva, which will be discussed later.
Types of organs that produce saliva
The excretory ducts of the salivary glands flow into the oral cavity, divided into large (have the structure of an organ) and small, which are located in different parts of the mucous membrane.
Small include: labial, buccal, molar, lingual and palatal. Large are called two parotid, submandibular and sublingual. The largest is a pair of parotid glands.
Physiology
The salivary glands, in the process of salivation, excrete a secret through the duct system into the oral cavity, which contains enzymes involved in digestion: amylase, proteinase, lipase, etc. The secret of all the organs that produce themmix in the human mouth and form saliva, which forms a food bolus and ensures the start of the digestion process.
Parotid salivary glands
These two glands are considered the most important. They lie around the jaw branch and take part in the initial phase of digestion, releasing the required amount of secretion. They are of the serous type and produce ptyalin. Their secretions enter the oral cavity through the ducts of the parotid salivary glands.
These organs are located behind the branches of the lower jaw and in front of the mastoid process extending from the temple bone. They are closely related to the functioning of the branching of the facial nerve, so if their work is disturbed, a serious dysfunction in the movement of the facial muscles can occur.
Through the excretory ducts of the parotid salivary glands, almost a fifth of the total volume of saliva enters the oral cavity. The weight of each of them ranges from 20-30 g.
Submandibular gland
The submandibular salivary glands produce a mixture of mucus and serous fluid. Despite the fact that they are smaller than the parotid, the share of salivary fluid produced by them is 70%. It enters the oral cavity from these secretory organs with the help of the submandibular canal, which is the duct for these salivary glands.
Description of the sublingual gland
Sublingual or sublingual are the large glands under the tongue. They are mainly involved in the secretion of mucus. Unlike other large glands, the duct systemthe sublingual salivary gland is more simple. It is not so diverse and branched out. It does not include intercalary ducts and jet flow outlets.
Salivary ducts in the amount of 8 to 20 open from the sublingual glands into the oral cavity. Up to 5% of all saliva passes through them.
Structure of the parotid glands
The parotids are complex alveolar glands. Each of them has a lobed structure and is covered with fascia, which closes them into a separate capsule formation.
The excretory duct of the parotid salivary gland opens into the oral cavity in the form of a small hole located in front of the second large molar on the upper jaw. Its length is 6 cm and on the way to the oral cavity it passes through the surface of the masticatory muscle, the adipose tissue of the cheek and the buccal muscle. Sometimes this duct can bifurcate.
The structure of the submandibular gland
In its anatomy, it acts as a complex alveolar-tubular gland, the second largest among the large organs that secrete saliva. It, like the parotid, has a lobed structure and is located in the submandibular fossa, extending beyond the posterior border of the maxillohyoid muscle. The base of the duct of the salivary gland, located under the jaw, is located near the posterior edge of this muscle and, bending around its surface, opens on the sublingual papilla.
The structure of the sublingual gland
The structure of this gland is the same as that of the submandibular gland. She is locatedimmediately under the oral mucosa over the jaw-hyoid muscle. There it forms a sublingual fold located between the surface of the lower jaw and the tongue. The number of ducts of this gland can vary from 18 to 20. They open into the oral cavity along the sublingual fold. The main duct of the salivary gland passes near the submandibular ducts and opens with it with a common opening or nearby.
Functions
The main purpose of the described glands is to produce a special secret. The ducts of the salivary glands are designed to remove it from the oral cavity. Thus, the functioning of the salivary ducts provides the following:
- saliva wets the oral cavity;
- food liquefies;
- articulation provided;
- taste sensations are enhanced;
- teeth are protected from damage (thermal or mechanical);
- cleansing the mouth.
Possible diseases
There are many diseases that can disrupt the functioning of the salivary glands and their ducts. Among them, the most dangerous are:
- Expansion of ducts. It leads to a violation of the excretion of secretions into the oral cavity and causes the formation of stones and purulent inflammation in the ducts of the salivary glands.
- Abscesses. This disease affects the glandular tissue, and therefore requires urgent hospitalization followed by surgery.
- Formation of intraglandular stones. During the development of the disease, the duct system of the salivary glandsfilled with stones that make it difficult to pass the secret.
- Sialoadenitis. With the onset of the disease, there is a decrease in the activity of secretion by the gland, leading to inflammatory processes that spread in the gland itself and its ducts.
- The formation of polyps that block the path of the movement of the secret. As a result of constant fluid stagnation, the development of infection and inflammation begins.
- Sialolithiasis. The process of the course of the disease involves the filling of the ducts of the glands with stones, leading to the same consequences as polyps.
- Mucocele. There is stagnation of saliva accumulated in the ducts due to polyps or stones.
- Papillary stenosis. Due to the disease, the ducts of the salivary glands narrow in places where the secret enters the oral cavity, which leads to its stagnation and the development of the inflammatory process.
Treatment methods
In the vast majority of cases, diseases affecting the salivary glands and their ducts are treated by surgical intervention. The reason is that patients rarely seek help in the early stages of the development of the disease, and since delay in treatment leads to complications of the disease, only a surgeon can get rid of them.
Surgical treatment includes the following activities:
- Lithotripsy. During this procedure, the doctor crushes stones in the salivary gland or duct using a special apparatus and then removes them.
- Marsupializationducts. Treatment is performed by opening the salivary duct, from which stones or polyps are removed. Since more gentle methods currently exist, marsupialization is used very rarely and only in cases where large stones or a formation on the bottom of the mouth are found. After the pathological formation is removed, duct plastic surgery is performed.
- Therapeutic sialoendoscopy. It is a variant of endoscopic surgery and makes it possible to remove small stones that have formed, as well as get rid of strictures (narrowing of the lumen) of the ducts. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia by inserting a tube (or several) into the duct.
- Extracorporeal lithotripsy. It is planned to influence the stones formed in the duct from the outside with the help of a special emitter. In the process of such treatment, stones are destroyed, regardless of their size. After crushing, the stones are removed and the ducts are washed with a special solution to prevent the development of inflammation.
- Endoscopic laser lithotripsy. This method is based on the direct impact on the stones in the duct. Crushing is carried out using a laser emitter. At the end of the procedure, the stones are removed.
- Removal of polyps endoscopically. The procedure is performed using a laser, which cuts off polyps. It is very popular due to the fact that the laser, after cutting off the polyp, cauterizes and disinfects the place where the growth was located. In addition, there is no bleeding of the ducts of the salivary glands, which prevents the development of a purulent complication.
- Endoscopic dilatation. It is used in cases where it is necessary to dissect adhesions in a gland or duct that form on scar tissue during a disease of the salivary glands. The procedure allows you to restore the outflow of the secret without damaging the walls of the ducts.
Endoscopic treatments for diseases affecting the salivary glands and ducts are very popular, as they are highly effective and do not require further hospitalization. In addition, they prevent the development of various complications, which allows patients to recover quickly.
Since the salivary ducts play a very important role in the process of salivation, any disruption in their functioning leads to serious consequences. Therefore, at the first sensation of discomfort in the area of the salivation system, it is necessary to consult a doctor who can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe an effective method of treatment.
