Wetting properties of saliva substitutes on acrylic resin.

The good wetting of the acrylic resin by saliva substitutes is of clinical importance in xerostomic patients. This study evaluated the wetting properties of different artificial saliva formulations that were mucin-based, carboxymethylcellulose-based, and concentrated ion-based on poly(methyl methacrylate) denture base resin, and compared these properties with natural saliva. The wetting properties of the test materials were examined by contact angle measurements. Ninety-six samples that measured 30 x 30 x 3 mm were examined. The wetting properties of mucin-containing and carboxymethylcellulose-containing substitutes on poly(methyl methacrylate) were significantly better than those of human saliva. Mucin-containing artificial salivas had the best wetting properties on the acrylic resin for the materials tested.