Excessive saliva — increased amounts of saliva in your mouth — is usually a temporary problem and rarely cause for concern. Normally, your salivary glands produce about 1 to 3 pints (0.5 to 1.5 liters) of saliva a day. However, because swallowing occurs frequently and unconsciously, you don't generally notice the saliva. If you suddenly seem to have excessive saliva in your mouth, it could be because your salivary glands are making more saliva than usual (sialorrhea) or because you're having difficulty swallowing.

Jan. 11, 2012