 Salivary stones – what you need to know

Learn about salivary gland stones, why they form and how to treat them.

What are the symptoms?

What causes salivary stones?

Self-help for salivary stones

When to see a doctor and getting diagnosed

What’s the treatment?

Preventing salivary stones

Salivary stones – also called salivary gland stones or sialolithiasis – are small, hard stones that can form in your mouth’s salivary glands and block the flow of your spit (saliva). They don’t usually cause a serious problem and can often be managed with simple remedies, including massage.

Spit (saliva) is released from your salivary glands into your mouth all the time – not just when you’re eating. But occasionally, calcium and other things in your saliva can harden to form salivary stones.

You may not even notice you have them, but if they block your salivary glands, they can cause pain and swelling (inflammation) – especially during mealtimes.

Most salivary stones form in glands at the back of your mouth, but they can form in any of your salivary glands, including those on either side of your face near your ears, and under your tongue.


## What are the symptoms?
If you can see a salivary stone, it’s normally round, hard, and white. The size can vary, but most are about the size of a pea.

Symptoms can include:

- dull pain and swelling in your mouth 
- a painful lump under your tongue
- trouble swallowing, or opening your mouth fully
- a dry mouth and/or strange taste
- intense pain while eating, which can last a few hours – chewing encourages the flow of saliva, but if a stone is blocking a gland, the saliva can’t get out.

Your symptoms may come and go. But if they get worse, this could mean a salivary gland has become infected, and [you should see a doctor](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/salivary-gland-stones#when-to-see-a-doctor).


Get help with this

## What causes salivary stones?

The exact causes of salivary stones are unknown, so it’s difficult to prevent them – they’re not usually a result of another health condition. 

But some things can make your saliva ‘thicker’ or reduce how much saliva you make, which can mean you’re more likely to get salivary stones.

Risk factors include:

- smoking
- dehydration 
- taking certain medicines, such as water pills (diuretics)
- gum disease
- damage to your salivary glands.


## Self-help for salivary stones

If your salivary stone is small it may fall out on its own.

You can sometimes remove salivary stones yourself by increasing the amount of saliva in your mouth. 

You can try:

- sucking on sour sweets like lemon drops to stimulate saliva
- staying hydrated by drinking lots of water
- gently massaging the area around the stone
- applying moist heat, such as a warm washcloth, to the area.

These methods can encourage the stone to fall out naturally. But don’t poke it or try to remove it with anything sharp, as you could hurt yourself or cause an infection.

To help reduce any pain or swelling, you can take painkillers such as acetaminophen (paracetamol) or ibuprofen, or try sucking ice cubes to soothe the area.


## When to see a doctor and getting diagnosed

See a doctor if [self-help](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/salivary-gland-stones#selfhelp) methods haven’t worked and you’ve been unable to remove the stone. 

Also make an appointment if you think you have an infection (you may be in pain and have a fever, plus the area around the stone looks red or there is pus).

You may need an X-ray, CT, or MRI scan to check that your symptoms are caused by salivary stones and to see the location. 


## What’s the treatment?

Treatment options include:

- __manual removal__ – if your doctor can see the stone, they may gently try to remove it with a blunt tool 
- __antibiotics__ – these may be prescribed if your salivary gland has become infected
- __surgery__ – if your doctor can’t dislodge the stone or the stone is very large, you may need surgery which is usually a small, simple procedure using a specially designed instrument. After surgery, salivary glands usually return to normal. 

It’s not common for salivary stones to keep coming back.


## Preventing salivary stones

Although there is no sure way to prevent salivary stones, following a good oral health routine, staying hydrated, and avoiding smoking can help. 

Be aware of signs such as your salivary ducts feeling painful or tender, and sucking on sour sweets or massaging the area is a good way to lower the risk of the problem developing.

If you keep getting salivary stones, tell your doctor. You may need to have 1 of your salivary glands removed to stop the stones coming back.


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References

Rosalind Ryan

Susie Parker

Dr Emily Blount

Article information

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Salivary stones can form in the glands in your mouth that release spit (saliva). Learn how you can treat them yourself. 