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List of All Topics
Sialoliths
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Introduction
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
Prognosis
Prevention
Sialoliths tend to be more common in men than in women.
Symptoms
The most common symptom is a painful swelling of the salivary gland. The pain and swelling may get worse during meals. The pain is caused by a back-up of saliva behind the stone. This can lead to infection. It also might destroy the gland's tissue.
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Diagnosis
This condition usually is diagnosed with an X-ray. But some stones (at least 20% of submandibular stones and 50% of parotid stones) will not show up on an X-ray. Ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) scans usually are used in these cases. The dentist may try to squeeze saliva from the gland to see if it is blocked.
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Treatment
Stones near the end of a salivary gland duct often can be removed by squeezing them out by hand. Deeper ones require surgery. The entire salivary gland may need to be removed. Sometimes stones can be smashed with shock waves. This is similar to a process used for kidney stones. However, this procedure has side effects, and not everyone is a candidate for it.
The stone will stay in the gland until it is removed. This is done by surgery or by squeezing it out using finger pressure. In some cases, removing the stone will relieve the pain. In other cases, there may be an infection that needs to be treated as well.
Any infections will be treated with antibiotics.
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Prevention
Because the exact cause of sialoliths is not known, there is no clear way to prevent them. However, getting enough fluids is important, especially if you exercise frequently or live in a warm climate.
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Prognosis
If the stone is removed before infection or tissue damage occurs, the outlook usually is excellent.
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Information obtained from National Institute of Health