Maintaining good oral health goes beyond having a beautiful smile; it also involves ensuring that every aspect of our mouths functions properly. At Smile Solutions, we understand how essential your salivary glands are in maintaining your oral health. Just like your teeth and gums, healthy salivary glands are essential, and when disorders affect them, they can impact your quality of life. In this article, we’ll provide a brief overview of salivary gland disorders, their symptoms, and the effects salivary gland disorders can have on your oral health. 

Understanding Salivary Gland Disorders

Salivary gland disorders encompass a group of diseases that cause inflammation and affect the salivary gland function. These glands play a crucial role in producing saliva, which helps keep the mouth healthy and washes away harmful bacteria. Salivary gland disorders can result in either an increase or decrease in saliva production. Here are some of the most common disorders: 

• Sjögren’s Syndrome: This autoimmune disorder reduces saliva and tear production. Symptoms often include dry mouth, dry eyes, fatigue, and joint pain. 
• Salivary Gland Stones: Also known as sialolithiasis, these calcified deposits form within the salivary gland ducts, obstructing saliva flow. Symptoms include swelling, pain, and signs of infection. 
• Salivary gland infections: Bacteria and virus strains can cause inflammation and infection in the salivary glands, with some of the most common being sialadenitis or mumps. 
• Salivary gland tumors: Abnormal growths can also develop within the salivary glands, either benign or malignant, and symptoms can include swelling, pain, difficulty swallowing, and changes in facial muscle structure.

Because saliva plays a vital role in oral health, disorders that affect the salivary glands can lead to difficulties with chewing, tasting, swallowing, and speaking. These disorders also increase the risk of dental cavities and other oral infections. When you visit Smile Solutions, our team can provide you with various treatment options, including: 

• Medications: Our dentist may prescribe medications to manage your condition or eliminate the infection in your salivary glands. 
• Salivary Gland Stimulation: Techniques can be provided to help stimulate your salivary glands, alleviating dry mouth and enhancing saliva flow. 
• Salivary Gland Stone Removal: If salivary gland stones are present, our dentist may manually remove them to restore proper saliva flow. 
• Salivary Duct Dilation: Procedures can be performed to widen or remove obstructions in the salivary ducts, improving saliva flow. 
• Specialist Referrals: Our dentists may refer you to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon specializing in salivary gland disorders in complex cases. 

Visit Smile Solutions For Comprehensive Dental Care

Smile Solutions is dedicated to providing comprehensive dental care to manage salivary gland disorders and minimize their impact on oral health. Dr. Robert Berg and our team are committed to delivering personalized, compassionate care for your oral health needs. We are located in Garden City, South, NY. Please get in touch with us at (516) 872-8780 to schedule an appointment. We are here to support you every step of the way.