Your salivary glands produce saliva, which keeps your mouth moist, helps protect your teeth from rapid decay, and helps you to digest your food. The salivary glands are relatively small, and they’re around the inner linings of your mouth, lips, and cheeks.

A number of diseases can affect your salivary glands. These range from cancerous tumors to S jögren’s syndrome. While some conditions go away with time or antibiotics, others require more serious treatments, including surgery.