Question #685
The sublingual gland
The sublingual gland is the smallest of the three main salivary glands. It is located deep to the tongue and anterior to the submandibular gland. The submandibular duct passes deep to the sublingual gland before opening into the papilla adjacent to the frenulum of the tongue. The sublingual gland has a number of small ducts, some join the submandibular duct while others drain directly into the oral cavity.
The sublingual gland is supplied by the sublingual artery and lies lateral to the lingual artery and medial to the facial artery.
It is innervated by fibres from the chorda tympani which is carried on the lingual nerve, a branch of the mandibular nerve.