What is the parotid gland?

What is the parotid gland?

Parotid glands are one of the three main types of salivary glands in the body, and they are located on the sides of the face, just in front of the ear. These glands (together with the sublingual and submaxillary glands) play a very important role: the creation of saliva, which in turn helps digestion, lubricates the mouth and inhibits tooth decay.

Like all the glands of our body,  salivary glands can suffer from inflammatory processes, infectious processes, or even develop tumors (although benign in 80% of cases). Infections and calculi in the parotid glands may require treatment, and inflammation of the parotid glands can provide important clues about the presence of other medical conditions to be considered.

Some indicators of possible problems with the parotid gland are:

• Swelling
• Sensitivity
• Redness
• Pain
• Appearance of a lump
• Facial paralysis

Given the fact that the treatment of most parotid tumors is surgery, it is very important to bear in mind that the parotid gland is located in an extremely delicate position, since it is crossed by the facial and auriculotemporal nerves, so one must be extremely careful when choosing a surgeon to treat this area.

The professionals of the Maxillofacial Institute have developed, over the years, different minimally invasive techniques to minimize the risks of this type of intervention, and promote a more aesthetic result.

 

Video: Dr. Adaia Valls, Maxillofacial Surgeon, talks about the neurostimulator of the facial nerve

 

 

Watch: Testimonials of parotidectomy patients

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