OBJECTIVES: To collect the material culture of Wharton's duct during the section in surgical resection of the submandibule gland and thus evaluate the degree of contamination of this surgery and need for antibiotic prophylaxis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study with patients treated by the department of otolaryngology and cervico-facial surgery at Santa Casa de Misericordia of Curitiba from December of 2010 to February of 2012. During this period examinations were collected from 6 patients undergoing conventional surgery for resection of the submandibule gland. All swab samples were collected during surgery directly from the Wharton's duct immediately after their identification and section prior to ligation and removal of the gland and sent directly to the laboratory for culture. RESULTS: The results of the culture of the swab material were negative in 100% of the patients, or no growth of bacteria. Only one patient had wound dehiscence and required surgical intervention, the other had no postoperative complications, including no cases of wound infection. CONCLUSION: We may conclude that this is an operation which is clean and contamination material salivary duct it is not significant, since no bacterial growth in the cultures obtained. Therefore, there are no benefits from the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in surgical resection of the salivary gland, provided they are kept ideal standards of aseptic and antiseptic.