Salivary stones
Introduction
Salivaconstantly flows from the salivary glands in your mouth. Sometimes,the chemicals in saliva can crystalise to form atiny stone.
Salivary gland stones ('salivary calculi') can become lodged in the duct (tube) leading from the salivary gland, blocking the flow of saliva into the mouth. This cancause swelling and pain in the gland.
The stones are largely made of calcium, and most are smaller than 1cm in diameter, although they can range from being less than 1mm to as large asa few centimetres.
Usually, a procedure is needed to have the stone removed, although it can sometimes come out of the mouth on its own, or after a bit ofprobing.
You could try dislodging the stone yourself by sucking on lemon to stimulate saliva flow.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 23 Jun 2016
Introduction
NHS Choices information on salivary gland stones (calculi), with links to other useful resources
Why do salivary stones form?
It's not known why salivary gland stonesform. There's usually no imbalance of calcium anywhere else in the body. The formation of a stone may be linkedto changes in the flow of saliva through the gla
Where do they form?
Most salivary gland stones form in one of the submandibular glands you have two of these glands (one on each side) under the bottom of your mouth. The stone becomes lodged in the duct running from th
How do I know I have a salivary gland stone?
If the stone is very small and not blocking the duct, you may not realise you have it as there may not be any symptoms. A larger stone may be visible when you open your mouth wide. If the stone is bi
How is it diagnosed?
A GP may be able to see the stone when they examine your mouth. Otherwise, an X-ray would usually show it up. If the stone doesn't show up on X-ray, you may need one of the following more detailed s
How is it removed?
Your GPmay attempt to free up the stone by probing your salivary duct with a thin, blunt instrument. If this doesn't work, you may need a procedure called a therapeutic sialendoscopy (mentioned above
What happens after it has been removed?
Salivary stones are usually a one-off event and most people who develop one won't develop another again. If you're unlucky enough to develop another one, or develop a few at the same time, you may ne
Subscribe
Ask the doctor
Rate this article
Find products