Tonsils and Glands

Here is a look at conditions that can occur in your tonsils and glands. These conditions can and will effect the health of your teeth and oral cavity.

• Salivary Gland Problems: Your salivary glands produce as much as a quart of saliva each day. Saliva is important to lubricate your mouth, help with swallowing, protect your teeth against bacteria, and aid in the digestion of food.
• Salivary Gland Stones: A salivary gland stone — also called salivary duct stone, salivary calculus, or sialolith — is a calcified structure that may form inside a salivary gland or duct and can block the flow of saliva into the mouth.
• Tonsil Stones (Tonsilloliths): Your tonsils are filled with nooks and crannies where bacteria and other materials, including dead cells and mucous, can become trapped. When this occurs, the debris can become concentrated in white formations that occur in the pockets.
• Tonsillitis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments: Sometimes the tonsils become infected. Overwhelmed by bacteria or viruses, they swell and become inflamed, a condition known as tonsillitis.
• Peritonsillar Abscess: A peritonsillar abscess forms in the tissues of the throat next to one of the tonsils. An abscess is a collection of pus that forms near an area of infected skin or other soft tissue.