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Sublingual Gland
Digestive System

Sublingual Gland

Glandula sublingualis

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Quick Facts

Location: Floor of the mouth.

Arterial supply: Sublingual artery.

Venous Drainage: Sublingual vein.

Innervation: Chorda tympani (CN VII); Lingual nerve (CN V3)

Lymphatic drainage: Submandibular lymph nodes.

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Structure

The sublingual glands are the smallest and deepest of the three major salivary glands. They are approximately almond in shape and sits within the floor of the mouth.

Anatomical Relations

The sublingual gland sits on mylohyoid muscle deep to the mucosa lining the floor of the mouth. It sits against the sublingual fossa of the mandible.

Function

The sublingual glands are capable of serous and mucous secretion; however, they mainly secret mucous fluid.

Arterial Supply

The sublingual glands are vascularized by the submental branches of the lingual and facial arteries.

Venous Drainage

The sublingual glands are drained by the submental branches of the lingual and facial veins.

Innervation

The ganglionic branches of the lingual nerve to the submandibular ganglion are parasympathetic fibers. They transmit the preganglionic parasympathetic fibers that originated in the chorda tympani to the submandibular ganglion. In this ganglion, these parasympathetic fibers synapse with postganglionic parasympathetic fibers that will innervate the sublingual gland.

Lymphatic Drainage

Lymphatic drainage of the sublingual gland is via the submandibular lymph nodes. These nodes drain via the deep cervical lymph nodes.

List of Clinical Correlates

- Xerostomia

Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products

Sublingual Gland

ScienceDirect image

The sublingual glands consist of 12 to 18 small, paired glands located in the sublingual space in the floor of the mouth.

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