salivary gland stones - ever have em?

[ramonesfreak]

ive got some questions...since its obvious to me that doctors dont give a crap until youve got something the size of a melon protruding from your neck

[equality72521]

never heard of it

[dhoward]

Scott? Now there's a guy with some stones...

[crustychief]

I think I had one last year! I didn't know what it was, i just had a little bump like thing on the very far left hand side of my tongue by my wisdom tooth, I remember opening a warm 7up, taking a drink, and it felt like a shotgun went off in my mouth! Man that hurt.

[masraum]

Interesting, had never heard of them.

http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec08/ch111/ch111a.html

The lump usually disappears by itself within a few weeks.

Diagnosis and Treatment

There are no good quantitative tests to diagnose salivary gland malfunction. However, the salivary glands can be squeezed ("milked") and the ducts observed for saliva flow.

Swelling due to blockage of a salivary duct is diagnosed because of the relationship of pain to mealtimes. To diagnose other causes of swelling, a dentist or doctor may perform a biopsy to obtain a sample of salivary gland tissue and examine it under a microscope.

If a salivary duct is blocked by a stone, a dentist can sometimes push the stone out by pressing on both sides of the duct. If that fails, a fine-wire-like instrument can be used to pull out the stone. As a last resort, the stone can be removed surgically.

[ramonesfreak]

yea...that sums that up. i know all about em

what im wondering is, if anyone that has had them 1 or more times, has developed any scar tissue in the gland or duct and if so...how did it feel, and what did you do about it

[gamin]

My wife had one some years ago, about the time I was leaving the Navy. The Navy socialized medicine doctors failed miserably to diagnose the problem. It was properly diagnosed by the first civilian doctor we saw. Stone would block the duct at mealtime when saliva was produced. Lot of swelling and pain. Would gradually subside until next meal. Had to be surgically removed. No problem since.
Gary

[HardDrive]

I had one show up on a dental xray last summer. Oral surgeon check it out, and said that until I have symptons, he won't do anything. I read somewhere that they can use ultra sound to break them up.

[cgarr]

"If that fails, a fine-wire-like instrument can be used to pull out the stone."

Wow, Kind of like my Kidney stones!

[lm6y]

I had one, it made my salivary gland swell up to the size of a golf ball! It hurt all of the time.

A lemon drop made it push through believe it or not.

[Hugh R]

I had one 30 years ago. The doc took a wire the diameter of a small paper clip and inserted it in the gland and it squirted out about a foot. Told me to suck on lemon drops for a few days. Never had them again.