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How do you treat/drain a salivary gland abscess?

Most salivary gland abscesses are treated medically. The patient is instructed on warm massage, taking fluids, sialagogues (lemon drops or anything that produces saliva), and antibiotics. In some cases, conservative therapy is not enough, and surgical intervention is necessary. Often, if the obstruction is relieved at the site of the saliva flowing into the mouth, the abscess can be drained in that way with local anesthesia. This may mean incision and drainage of the salivary ducts and removal of stones.

The parotid salivary duct enters at the inside of our cheeks. The submandibular duct enters at the floor of our mouths. If internal drainage is unsuccessful, an incision and drainage must be done externally through the skin with a local or general anesthetic. Rarely, in cases of recurrent salivary gland abscesses or large obstruction with stone(s), complete surgical excision of the gland is required. Excision of the gland has inherent risks, such as damage to the facial nerve, which can affect the motion of the face. Excision of one salivary gland is inconsequential to overall salivary flow in most cases since the other salivary glands have already taken over saliva production.

What is a salivary gland abscess?

What does a blocked salivary gland feel like?

Do you need to have surgery to drain a salivary gland abscess? (Can it go away on its own?)

How long does it take to recover after draining a salivary gland abscess?

What complications may occur after draining a salivary gland abscess?

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

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Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

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