The sublingual glands lie on the floor of your mouth, under yourtongue. Shaped like almonds, they’re the smallest of the three pairs of salivary glands.
“Lingual” refers to the tongue and “sub” means below, so the word “sublingual” literally means below the tongue.
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Anatomy
Location
The sublingual glands lie just inside the jawbone (mandible) behind your lower canine teeth. They’re also on either side of the genioglossus muscle, which allows you to stick out your tongue and move it side to side. The glands actually connect to each other in the front of your mouth, creating a U-shape.
Structure
Other Salivary GlandsThe other salivary glands are thesubmandibular glands, which are located under your lower jaw, and the largeparotid glands, which are on the sides of your head between your jaw and ears.
Other Salivary Glands
The other salivary glands are thesubmandibular glands, which are located under your lower jaw, and the largeparotid glands, which are on the sides of your head between your jaw and ears.
Anatomical Variations
Known anatomical variations of the sublingual glands include:
Variations like these are important for healthcare providers to know when diagnosing and treating conditions related to the sublingual glands and their associated structures. Especially during surgical procedures, being aware of potential deviations from what’s considered standard can help prevent accidental damage to the glands.
Function
The sublingual glands are considered mixed glands because they produce both mucus and serous fluid, a clear to pale yellow watery fluid that is found in the body. However, it primarily produces a thick mucus. The mucus lubricates food in the mouth to make it easier to swallow.
Associated Conditions
The sublingual glands can be involved in a number of medical conditions:
Why Is Your Mouth Always Dry?
Tests
The tests your healthcare provider performs on your sublingual glands depend on what conditions are suspected based on your symptoms, a physical exam, and possibly blood tests. Tests for various conditions connected to the sublingual glands may include:
What Are Body Fluids Made Of?
Summary
The sublingual glands produce liquid that help keep your mouth moist and break down food for digestion. Different conditions, such as cancer and cysts, can interrupt the functioning of these glands and cause problems.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wing L, Massoud TF.Chapter 98: Salivary glands and ducts. In: Tubbs RS, Shoja MM, loukas M, ed.Bergman’s Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation.Wiley Digital Archives.Patel S, Bhatt AA.Imaging of the sublingual and submandibular spaces.Insights Imaging. 2018;9(3):391-401. doi:10.1007/s13244-018-0615-4Cedars Sinai.Salivary gland disease and tumors.Cleveland Clinic.Sialadenitis (swollen salivary gland).Kanehira T, Hongou H, Asano K, et al.A simple test for salivary gland function measuring resting and stimulated submandibular and sublingual secretions.Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2014;117(2):197-203. doi:10.1016/j.oooo.2013.10.001Johns Hopkins Sjögren’s Center.Salivary gland function scan (parotid scintigraphy).
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wing L, Massoud TF.Chapter 98: Salivary glands and ducts. In: Tubbs RS, Shoja MM, loukas M, ed.Bergman’s Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation.Wiley Digital Archives.Patel S, Bhatt AA.Imaging of the sublingual and submandibular spaces.Insights Imaging. 2018;9(3):391-401. doi:10.1007/s13244-018-0615-4Cedars Sinai.Salivary gland disease and tumors.Cleveland Clinic.Sialadenitis (swollen salivary gland).Kanehira T, Hongou H, Asano K, et al.A simple test for salivary gland function measuring resting and stimulated submandibular and sublingual secretions.Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2014;117(2):197-203. doi:10.1016/j.oooo.2013.10.001Johns Hopkins Sjögren’s Center.Salivary gland function scan (parotid scintigraphy).
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Wing L, Massoud TF.Chapter 98: Salivary glands and ducts. In: Tubbs RS, Shoja MM, loukas M, ed.Bergman’s Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation.Wiley Digital Archives.Patel S, Bhatt AA.Imaging of the sublingual and submandibular spaces.Insights Imaging. 2018;9(3):391-401. doi:10.1007/s13244-018-0615-4Cedars Sinai.Salivary gland disease and tumors.Cleveland Clinic.Sialadenitis (swollen salivary gland).Kanehira T, Hongou H, Asano K, et al.A simple test for salivary gland function measuring resting and stimulated submandibular and sublingual secretions.Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2014;117(2):197-203. doi:10.1016/j.oooo.2013.10.001Johns Hopkins Sjögren’s Center.Salivary gland function scan (parotid scintigraphy).
Wing L, Massoud TF.Chapter 98: Salivary glands and ducts. In: Tubbs RS, Shoja MM, loukas M, ed.Bergman’s Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation.Wiley Digital Archives.
Patel S, Bhatt AA.Imaging of the sublingual and submandibular spaces.Insights Imaging. 2018;9(3):391-401. doi:10.1007/s13244-018-0615-4
Cedars Sinai.Salivary gland disease and tumors.
Cleveland Clinic.Sialadenitis (swollen salivary gland).
Kanehira T, Hongou H, Asano K, et al.A simple test for salivary gland function measuring resting and stimulated submandibular and sublingual secretions.Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2014;117(2):197-203. doi:10.1016/j.oooo.2013.10.001
Johns Hopkins Sjögren’s Center.Salivary gland function scan (parotid scintigraphy).
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