Which salivary gland is located in the anterior floor of the mouth, above the mylohyoid muscle?

• A. Parotid gland
• B. Submandibular gland
• C. Minor salivary glands
• D. Sublingual gland

Answer: (D)

The important idea is how the floor of the mouth is divided by the mylohyoid muscle into compartments, which helps pin down where a gland is. Above the mylohyoid lies the sublingual space, the area right under the tongue, where the sublingual gland sits. This gland, one of the major salivary glands, is located in the anterior part of the floor of the mouth and lies above the mylohyoid muscle. It has multiple small ducts (the Rivinus ducts) that open into the mouth along the sublingual folds, with a larger duct sometimes opening at the sublingual caruncle. In contrast, the parotid gland is near the ear and cheek, and the submandibular gland sits below the mylohyoid in the submandibular space, so they don’t match the described location.