If a gland under your jaw or in your cheek suddenly swells up and aches when you are about to eat, then settles again afterwards, a salivary stone is a likely cause. The medical name is sialolithiasis. A small calcified stone forms in a salivary gland or its duct and blocks the flow of saliva, so pressure builds when the gland is asked to produce saliva at mealtimes. It is not common, affecting roughly 1 percent of people, and the great majority of stones, around 85 percent, form in the submandibular gland under the jaw. Most can be treated, and minor cases often clear with simple measures.
Key takeaways
- A salivary stone blocks the flow of saliva, causing a gland to swell and ache, classically around meals.
- About 85 percent of stones form in the submandibular gland beneath the jaw.
- The swelling often eases between meals and flares again when you eat or even think about food.
- Small stones can often be coaxed out with hydration, massage, and sour foods that stimulate saliva.
- Larger or stubborn stones are now usually treated with minimally invasive techniques rather than removing the gland.
What is happening
Your major salivary glands sit under the jaw, in front of the ears, and under the tongue, and they pump saliva into the mouth through narrow ducts. When minerals in saliva build up and harden, they can form a stone. If that stone lodges in a duct, saliva cannot get past it. The gland keeps making saliva, especially when you eat, but it has nowhere to go, so the gland swells and becomes painful. Once the meal is over and saliva production slows, the pressure drops and the swelling often settles, until the next meal.
The submandibular gland is the most common site because its duct runs uphill against gravity and its saliva is thicker, both of which make blockage more likely.
The signs to look for
The classic pattern is mealtime swelling. Common signs include a tender lump under the jaw or in the cheek that swells before or during eating, pain that builds with meals and eases afterward, a dry mouth, and sometimes a gritty stone you can feel under the tongue. If the blocked gland becomes infected, called sialadenitis, you may notice increasing pain, redness, warmth over the gland, pus, a bad taste, and fever. Infection needs prompt attention.
What you can try at home
For a small stone and a recently blocked gland, simple measures encourage saliva to flow and may help wash the stone out.
- Stay well hydrated. Drinking plenty of water keeps saliva flowing.
- Use sour stimulation. Sucking on a lemon wedge, sugar-free sour lollies, or sipping tart drinks makes the gland produce more saliva, which can push a small stone along.
- Massage the gland gently from back to front, towards the duct opening, to encourage the stone out.
- Apply a warm compress over the swollen gland to ease discomfort.
- Use over-the-counter pain relief as directed if needed.
If the swelling keeps returning, the stone is large, or you develop signs of infection, see a dentist or doctor. A dry mouth from low saliva can also raise decay risk, which our guide to dental check-ups and good oral care helps manage.
How it is diagnosed and treated
A dentist or doctor can often feel a submandibular stone in the floor of the mouth, and imaging such as an ultrasound, X-ray, or scan confirms the size and position. Treatment depends on that.
Small stones near the duct opening can sometimes be milked out or removed with a minor procedure in the clinic. For larger or deeper stones, the modern approach has shifted away from removing the whole gland. A technique called sialendoscopy uses a tiny camera and instruments passed into the duct to find and remove the stone without an external incision, often preserving the gland. This shift has been significant: before these techniques, around a third of submandibular stone cases ended in gland removal, whereas now only a small fraction do. Larger stones may be broken up first with laser or other lithotripsy methods. Gland removal is now reserved for the minority of cases where the gland is badly damaged.
General cost and care pathway in Australia
Salivary stones often involve a dentist, GP, or an ear, nose and throat or oral surgery specialist, so costs vary with the pathway. The figures below are general Australian market ranges, not a quote, and we do not list our own prices here.
| Step | Typical Australian range |
|---|---|
| Dental or GP assessment | $60 to $200 |
| Imaging (ultrasound or X-ray) | $80 to $300 |
| Simple in-clinic stone removal | $200 to $600 |
| Sialendoscopy (specialist) | $1,500 to $4,000+ |
If a gland keeps swelling at mealtimes, the team at Lumi Dental can assess it and, where needed, refer you to the right specialist. See our current deals page to book.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my jaw swell only when I eat?
Eating triggers saliva production. If a stone blocks the duct, the saliva cannot escape, so pressure and swelling build during the meal and ease afterward.
Can a salivary stone go away on its own?
Small stones can sometimes pass with hydration, massage, and sour stimulation. Larger ones usually need a procedure to remove them.
Is it serious?
A stone itself is usually not dangerous, but a blocked gland can become infected. Increasing pain, redness, pus, or fever means you should seek care promptly.
Will I lose the gland?
Rarely now. Modern techniques like sialendoscopy remove most stones while preserving the gland. Gland removal is reserved for badly damaged glands.
What causes the stones to form?
They form when minerals in saliva harden. Dehydration, reduced saliva flow, and some medications that dry the mouth can make them more likely.
The takeaway
A salivary gland stone causes the telltale pattern of a gland that swells and aches around meals and settles in between. Small stones often respond to hydration, gentle massage, and sour stimulation, while larger ones are now usually removed with minimally invasive techniques that save the gland. If your gland keeps swelling or shows signs of infection, have it assessed. The team at Lumi Dental can help and refer where needed. Visit our current deals page to book.
