The salivary glands

Abstract

There are three paired major salivary glands of the head and neck, all named according to their location and each contributing to saliva and enzyme production via their respective ducts to assist with mastication and digestion. At rest, the lion’s share (60%) of saliva production is from the submandibular glands. On stimulation, the parotid contribution increases from 20% to 50%. There are up to 1000 minor salivary glands found within the submucosa of the oral cavity – 1-2mm in size and predominantly mucous in nature. The parotid glands are irregular shaped masses of lobulated tissue situated on the side of the face, reaching from the zygomatic arch superiorly to the upper part of the neck inferiorly where they overly the posterior belly of digastric and upper sternocleidomastoid muscle. Anteriorly, the gland lies between the posterior border of the mandibular ramus before continuing below the external acoustic meatus towards the mastoid process posteriorly.

Alginate Hydrogel Formulation with Ketorolac for the Treatment of Pain Related Sialolithiasis

“…As far as we know, this is the first study into the relationship between alginate hydrogel formulation-loaded ketorolac and pain reduction in the oral mucosa. The aims of the current study were to develop cross-linked alginate hydrogel loaded with ketorolac for the treatment of inflammatory buccal conditions such as sialolithiasis, which facilitated the therapeutic compliance of the patient, and thus assessed the suitability of the hydrogel for the buccal delivery and enables investigation into its biocompatibility with the buccal and sublingual mucosae [19].…”