A new automatic device for measuring the spinnbarkeit of saliva: The Neva Meter

Objectives. We have recently developed a new device for measuring the spinnbarkeit of saliva called the Neva Meter. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this device and to measure spinnbarkeit as well as viscosity, another important property, in the resting saliva of 24 healthy adults. Methods. We used polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a standard solution to establish the reproducibility of spinnbarkeit tests. We collected resting saliva from 24 employees of a business office (16 males and 8 females, average age: 37.8) and investigated the relationship between spinnbarkeit and viscosity. Results. The spinnbarkeit of PVA increased along with the concentration of the solution, and the reproducibility of the values was acceptable. Spinnbarkeit of resting saliva showed a positive correlation with viscosity at a shear rate of 76.6 s^-1 (r=0.55, P<0.05) and 191.5 s^-1 (r=0.59, P<0.05). Conclusions. The newly developed Neva Meter was suitable for measuring the spinnbarkeit of saliva quickly and easily at the chair-side in the dental clinic. Results obtained using this new device may be important for understanding and evaluating the condition of the oral cavity.