The salivary glands secrete saliva into the oral cavity (mouth). The major salivary glands are the parotid gland, submandibular gland and sublingual gland. Minor salivary glands are distributed around the oral cavity.
The most common abnormalities of salivary glands are obstruction (usually by a stone), infection and tumours (tumors).
Salivary glands are under the control of the autonomic nervous system. Disorders of the autonomic nervous system cause under- or over-production of saliva. Under production of saliva causes dry mouth and is probably worse than overproduction.