Looking beyond those pearly white teeth, directly as a picket fence, can sometimes be hard but with the help of this information on the salivary glands you are going to be one step closer to being in addition to your oral hygiene. This is the last post in a series of 4 vital articles on oral anatomy to keep your dental probiotics (find more) hygiene at its best. Do not ignore that preventative screenings with the dental professional of yours can help with early detection and modification of health and fitness threatening ailments like gum disease, decay, and oral cancer. No article would be full possibly without the encouragement for tobacco and smoking cessation. Use of tobacco products considerably increases the risk of yours for damaging dental disease and cancer not to bring up the price to your wallet when standard cleanings aren't enough to keep the residue build up at bay.  
This specific article is going to discuss stones in the salivary ducts, swelling of the salivary glands, and viruses which affect the salivary glands of ours. We have three (a total of 6) salivary glands in the mouth. The parotid glands would be the biggest of the 3 followed by the submandibular (below the bottom part of the jaw) and sublingual (under the tongue) glands. The salivary glands are crucial for only that, producing saliva. So why is it that we have saliva? Saliva carries essential enzymes required for the original breakdown of carbohydrates (starches, sugars, etc.) in the mouth of ours. This is the pioneer chemical breakdown of food in our mouth. We also mechanically digest the food of ours with our teeth when chewing.  
Issues are able to crop up in the salivary glands that may be wrongly identified as jaw pain or perhaps feel like a cavity as a result of the glands close proximity to the teeth and jaw bone. Salivary duct stones can form and generally cause pain when the mouth waters in response to a common smell of your favorite food. This is because the glands are trying to secrete saliva, although the saliva is clogged by the stone creating a good deal of back pressure. Most stones are small enough for an individual to pass on their own, but consult with your dentist or doctor.  
In the same way, the salivary glands may become inflamed. Inflammation of the salivary glands could be brought on by a lots of items including, obstruction, infection, allergies, poor oral hygiene and systemic illnesses as lupus or diabetes. In this particular case, the glands are going to be quite painful and tender to touch. Of particular note, inflammation of the parotid salivary gland due to the Mumps virus is prevalent in un immunized children. In the United States, the Mumps vaccine is on the general agenda of childhood immunizations, however the amount of un immunized kids in the U.S. is rising and much more mumps infections are going to be noticed.  
Regular visits to the dentist of yours are clearly recommended for excellent oral hygiene and monitoring.