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Salivary Glands

Salivary glands are responsible for producing saliva and emptying it into the mouth through small openings called ducts. Saliva aids in the digestion of food and keeps your mouth clean and healthy. Salivary gland disorders can interfere with the production of saliva, making it hard to eat, swallow, or fight off germs.

Salivary Gland Disorders

Salivary Gland Infections

Bacteria or viruses can cause infections in the salivary glands. Treatment for these may be as simple as drinking lots of water and staying well hydrated. In other cases, medicines such as antibiotics or steroids will be needed to heal the infection. In extreme cases, surgery may be needed to eliminate the problem completely. Salivary gland infections can often recur in some people and are more common than other disorders.

Salivary Gland Tumors

Salivary Gland Tumors are abnormal cells growing inside the gland or in the ducts of the gland. Although they are rare, they can either be benign or cancerous and will need a proper surgical removal. If the tumor is cancerous, further treatment may be needed to reduce or eliminate it.

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Gary Livingston has been designated an Inspire Excellence Surgeon. The award is given to recognize excellence in 3 areas of Inspire: Expertise, Patient Experience, and Clinical outcomes. Only 50 surgeons out of the current 1000 eligible Inspire surgeons have been designated Physicians of Excellence, and Dr. Livingston has been the fastest Inspire surgeon to receive this honor.

Dr. Livingston has also been named one of the Top Doctors® of 2023 by Castle Connolly.

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