Objective: To analyze kinematic viscosity and pH of unstimulated whole saliva, evaluate possible variations after sampling, identify any gender differences and detect possible correlations between them.
Subjects and methods: The sample consisted of sixty-four healthy young adults (37 females and 27 males, mean age 25.2 years). Saliva was collected using the spitting method at 11:00 am. Kinematic viscosity was determined with a capillary viscometer (ViscoClock, Schott-Geräte Mainz, Germany) equipped with a micro-Ubbelohde capillary. Viscosity and pH were measured at a temperature of 36 °C in a thermostatic bath. Viscosity and pH data were evaluated almost simultaneously at six different times after sampling in order to identify any variations due to aging. The data were statistically analyzed using Student's t test and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test.
Results: In total sample kinematic viscosity was 1.40 cSt (SD = 0.39; RSD % = 27.81), in the male and female groups was 1.33 cSt (SD = 0.35, RSD% = 26.31) and 1.45 cSt (SD = 0.41, RSD % = 28.45) respectively; the difference was not statistically significant. Viscosity decreased exponentially as a function of time after sampling then reaching a plateau around 1.12 cSt, while the pH values increased linearly. There was a trend of pH to decrease while viscosity decreases.
Conclusions: Kinematic viscometry could be a valid tool to evaluate salivary viscosity. Degradation of saliva after sampling affects viscosity and slightly pH. The use of capillary viscometer to evaluate salivary aging needs more improvements. Further studies are required to investigate and explain the effects of different techniques to reduce the film forming on the air/liquid interface during measurement.