Anatomy of the
Salivary Glands
3 major glands:
• Parotid
• Submandibular
• Sublingual
• Plus many accessory
glands in mucosa
• Exocrine glands that
secrete directly into the oral
cavity
•Important for lubricating
mouth, remineralizing teeth,
breaking down food
• Innervated by sensory,
parasympathetic, and
sympathetic fibres
Anatomy - Parotid
Largest salivary gland
Arbitrarily separated into
two “lobes” by facial
nerve
Compartment
Superior - Zygoma
Posterior – EAC, tail extends
over SCM/mastoid
Inferior - Styloid process
and muscles, carotid sheath
Anterior – Masseter and
buccal fat pad
Anatomy - Parotid
Parotid fascia –
continuation of superficial
layer of deep cervical
fascia
Superficial – spreads from
masseter to SCM to zygoma
Deep – inferiorly forms
stylomandibular membrane
and connects styloid
posteriorly to mandible
anteriorly
Inelastic fascia, sends
septations into gland
preventing easy dissection
Anatomy - Parotid
Stensen duct – arises
from anterior gland, 1.5
cm below zygoma
4 – 6 cm long
Runs over masseter
Pierces buccinator at
ant. border of masseter
Orifice is at level of 2nd
maxillary molar
Buccal branch of VII
parallels duct
Anatomy - Parotid
Arterial Supply –
transverse facial artery
(branch of superficial
temporal)
Venous – retromandibular
vein
Lymphatic:
Superficial layer below
capsule – drains parotid,
scalp, eyelids, EAC
Deep layer within gland –
drains parotid, NP, middle
ear, soft palate
Anatomy - Parotid
Anatomy - Parotid
Localization of CN
VII
Tragal pointer
Tympanomastoid
suture
Posterior belly
Digastric
Styloid process
Retrograde dissection
Important Points about the
Parotid
Largest of the salivary glands
Mostly watery serous secretion
Closely associated with facial nerve and
vasculature of the face
Parotid duct opens through cheek above
upper second molar
Produces most stimulated saliva
Anatomy - Submandibular
Second largest salivary
gland
Submandibular triangle:
inferior mandible
ant/post bellies of
digastric
wraps around
myelohyoid to form
superficial and deep
lobes
Anatomy - Submandibular
Wharton duct;
From medial surface –
courses between myelohyoid
and hyoglossus to FOM
Above CN XII / Below CN V3
(lingual)
5 cm long
Orifice is lateral to lingual
frenulum
Anatomy - Submandibular
Arterial Supply – Facial
artery
Venous Drainage –
Anterior facial vein
Lymphatics:
around gland in fascia
drain to deep cervical
chain
Anatomy – Sublingual
Sublingual gland
In FOM - above myelohyoid
and between mandible and
geniglossus
No fascia
Drains via 10 ducts of
Rivinus into FOM along the
sublingual plica
Arterial – Lingual/Facial
Venous – Lingual/Facial
Lymphatics – Submandibular
nodes
Anatomy - Minor Salivary
Minor Salivary Glands
600 – 1,000 lining
entire oral cavity, BOT,
tonsillar pillars and
tonsils (Weber glands)
Each gland has own
simple duct
Blood supply and
venous drainage by
location
Innervation of the Salivary
Glands
Main control by parasympathetic
system:
Submandibular and sublingual:
Via chordatympani of facial nerve through
submandibular ganglion
Parotid: Glossopharyngeal nerve
via otic ganglion Sympathetic fibres
through cervical ganglion then follow
blood vessels to glands
Mass of striated muscles
covered with the mucous
membrane
Divided into right and left
halves by a median septum
Three parts:
• Oral (anterior ⅔)
• Pharyngeal (posterior ⅓)
• Root (base)
Two surfaces:
• Dorsal
• Ventral
Divided into anterior two
third and posterior one third
by a V-shaped sulcus
terminalis.
The apex of the sulcus faces
backward and is marked by a
pit called the foramen cecum
Foramen cecum, an
embryological remnant,
marks the site of the upper
end of the thyroglossal duct
Anterior two third: mucosa
is rough, shows three
types of papillae:
Filliform
Fungiform
Vallate
Posterior one third: No
papillae but shows nodular
surface because of
underlying lymphatic
nodules, the lingual tonsils
Smooth (no papillae)
In the midline anteriorly,
a mucosal fold, frenulum
connects the tongue with
the floor of the mouth
Lateral to frenulum, deep
lingual vein can be seen
through the mucosa
Lateral to lingual vein, a
fold of mucosa forms the
plica fimbriata
The tongue is
composed of two
types of muscles:
• Intrinsic
• Extrinsic
Confined to tongue
No bony attachment
Consist of:
• Longitudinal fibers
• Transverse fibers
• Vertical fibers
Function: Alter the
shape of the tongue
Connect the tongue to
the surrounding
structures: the soft
palate and the bones
(mandible, hyoid bone,
styloid process)
Include:
• Palatoglossus
• Genioglossus
• Hyoglossus
• Styloglossus
Function: Help in
movements of the tongue
Protrusion:
Genioglossus on both sides acting together
Retraction:
Styloglossus and hyoglossus on both sides acting
together
Depression:
Hyoglossus and genioglossus on both sides acting
together
Elevation:
Styloglossus and palatoglossus on both sides acting
together
Anterior ⅔:
• General sensations: Lingual
nerve
• Special sensations : chorda
tympani
Posterior ⅓:
• General & special sensations:
glossopharyngeal nerve
Base:
• General & special sensations:
internal laryngeal nerve
Intrinsic
muscles:
Hypoglossal nerve
Extrinsicmuscles:
All supplied by the
hypoglossal nerve,
except the
palatoglossus
Thepalatoglossus
supplied by the
pharyngeal plexus
Arteries:
Lingual artery Lingual artery Dorsal lingual artery
& vein & vein
Tonsillar branch of
facial artery
Ascending
pharyngeal artery
Veins:
Lingual vein,
ultimately drains into Hypoglossal
Deep lingual
vein
the internal jugular nerve
vein
Arteries:
Lingual artery Lingual artery Dorsal lingual artery
& vein & vein
Tonsillar branch of
facial artery
Ascending
pharyngeal artery
Veins:
Lingual vein,
ultimately drains into Hypoglossal
Deep lingual
vein
the internal jugular nerve
vein
Lacerations of the
tongue
Tongue-Tie
(ankyloglossia) (due to
large frenulum)
Lesion
of the
hypoglossal nerve
• The protruded tongue
deviates toward the side
of the lesion
• Tongue is atrophied &
wrinkled
‘If there is goodness in your heart, it
will come to your tongue’.
