The salivary glands help saliva turn sticky chewed food into a bolus. A bolus is a lump of chewed food. These glands also assist with digesting carbohydrates. There are three sets of glands: parotid, submandibular, and sublingual. The parotid glands are located anterior, or in front of, the ears. The submandibular and sublingual glands work together to empty saliva to the floor of mouth. The submandibular is located under the mandible or jaw. The sublingual gland is located under the tongue on top of the submandibular gland.