The effect of artificial saliva on the rheological properties of tooth whitening systems.

This work was undertaken to explore the effect of saliva addition on the rheological properties of two contrasting tooth bleaching systems, one of which was a paste (Colgate Platinum) and the other a gel (Zaris, 3M ESPE). Using a dynamic stress rheometer with cone and plate geometry, it was shown that addition of artificial saliva reduced the apparent viscosity of each material. However, in some cases this was accompanied by an increase in elasticity. It is suggested that saliva may not have a deleterious effect on the ability of the materials to remain in the bleaching tray.