Causes, Natural History, and Incidence of Salivary Stones and Obstructions

Uncertainty about the causes and natural history of salivary stones (sialoliths) and other obstructions is being dispelled by clinical and experimental research. Sialoliths are now shown to be secondary to chronic obstructive sialadenitis . Microscopic stones (sialomicroliths) accumulate during secretory inactivity in normal salivary glands and produce atrophic foci by obstruction. Microbes ascend the main salivary duct during secretory...