August 19th 2020

Medical science has progressed in leaps and bounds over the years and has seen a lot of advancements. A few tests that used to take a lot of time with sophisticated equipment is now just a matter of seconds.

The precision in results has also been quite accurate if we are facilitated with the best testing equipment. The mouth swab drug test can check for different substances either individually or as a combo with the sample of saliva taken from the mouth.

It can detect alcohol, cannabis, and many other drugs for which the testing kit is designed. The mouth swab drug tests are now preferred over urine drug tests, which were earlier popular for detecting the same. It has various benefits and the topmost is its easy administration and many accurate results.

The samples are hard to temper and for these and many other reasons, it has become the most preferred way to test for drugs. The success of the testing depends on the quality of the Mouth Swab Drug test kit. It is also the capability of that kit that defines the type of tests it can conduct and how far back it can detect things.

Here is a quick preview:
5 Panel Mouth Swab Drug Test with Flat Cup
10 Panel Mouth Swab Drug Test Kit with Flat Cup

What is the mouth swab drug testing kit?

A mouth swab drug test equipment takes human’s saliva to detect any consumption of drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, and alcohol. The swab with the sample is then placed on the associated testing device was color coding gives the results.

This is a common practice adopted by many employers to check their employees for the consumption of any illegal drugs. It is also used by insurance companies, law enforcement agencies, and in the sports world for the same purpose.

There are many other similar products available but the legit mouth swab drug test kits are those which are part of the Oral Fluid Mandatory Guidelines. These guidelines are released by the Substance Abuse & mental health Services Administration.

The federal employers must follow all the given guidelines in this regard. On top of that, the majority of private employers also follow the same given guidelines.

How does the mouth swab drug testing work?

We should first understand the dynamics of saliva here and how the specimen required is produced and becomes valid in case of testing. The saliva or the oral fluid comes from the three main glands, which are submaxillary, parotid, sublingual, and also by some other very small glands as well.

The saliva is known for having quite low content of protein which is just about 0.3%. It has got the potential to vary in its flow rate going from 0 to multiple mL in a minute. It all depends on the impact coming from multiple factors including hunger and emotional state even.

There is also a thing known as dry mouth syndrome, which is quite common and has got the potential to get triggered through anxiety or insufficient hydration levels of an individual. The specimen collection times for the dry mouths are much longer.

They may take several minutes to collect a specimen of just 1 mL. This is where the medical experts look to go for an alternate specimen for the drug test, which could be the invasive blood sample procedure.

The mouth swab technique is a screening test to detect drug consumption.

It is also alternately known as oral fluids or saliva drug test.
This type of test is an alternative to the old urine test, where the latter is lesser preferred due to its lesser accuracy and chance of sample getting tempered. The mouth swab is the least invasive method known for the detection of drugs.

It doesn’t require any needle or to pee in a cup for giving a sample. The method involves the following two very basic steps:

A collection stick or a swab is used that has a sponge at one of its ends. It is required to be inserted inside the mouth for taking the saliva. Considerable time should be given here while moving the sponge all around the cheeks, gums, and tongue inside. You must only take it out when the sponge is thoroughly wet.
The sample taken in the above step is then analyzed using the testing equipment for detecting the traces of drug substances. This could be done in a lab or on-site. The results are obtained using a color-coding technique that indicates if the drug test for a specific substance is positive negative or invalid. In case of invalid results, the test needs to be taken again.

The method or testing approach discussed above doesn’t require any such preparation to be done. The basic requirement is not to eat, drink, or smoke at least 20 minutes before the test. Results are then obtained within 10 minutes from the time the sample is taken.

Application of Mouth Swab Drug Test

The mouth swab drug test has got quite a wide range of potential applications. The main application of the approach is to provide a non-invasive sample that helps in the detection of various drug-affected drivers.

The method is also commonly used at various workplaces for carrying out the test to check employees for having no illegal consumption of any banned substance. Usually, at workplaces, such testing is followed after a safety incident and to check employees for any usage of drugs.

There is also usage seen of such testing for prisoners and those who are in other correctional institutions. Moving on. The monitoring of drug consumption by drug courts also considers this subject method of testing.

Finally, another usage of this testing is seen with the detainees who are under suspicion of a certain crime and they might also be under the influence of some drug.

Shortcoming or Limitations of the Mouth Swab Drug Testing Kits

The modern mouth swab testing equipment indeed has a lot of benefits with the accuracy of results, performance, and versatility with different drug types. But, it also has its fair share of limitations as well about which we should all be informed.

First and foremost is that the range of testing is quite shorter as compared to the conventional methods. It means that the subject person on drugs could avoid positive results by just taking a break from the drug consumption and the results would then return negative.

It is because of the act that metabolites stay in the saliva for a very limited time. This time varies from drug to drug and also from person to person having different metabolism system. Generally speaking, you can expect saliva to have traces of drugs from anywhere between 24 to 72 hours while considering the given factors.

It has also been seen that people using certain medications for any reason may find their tests been interfered with the consumption of medication. This may lead to inconclusive or wrong results, which the mouth swab method couldn’t accommodate. As an example, consider the cough medication having codeine. This has very high chances of impacting the drug test of opiate using the mouth swab testing approach.

If somebody is looking to dodge the test using mouth swab then it could also be done quite easily. One can ensure negative tests as an outcome by chewing gum, drinking plenty of water, consuming mints, or using certain items that are specifically meant to cheat the oral drug tests.

However, this issue has been controlled quite well by ensuring that the subject person goes with an empty stomach for at least 10 minutes before the test sample has been taken.

There are also some types of drugs which are not possible to be detected at all using saliva specimen. This limits the testing opportunity using a mouth swab technique. However, these kinds of tests are quite rare and people normally don’t look for anything beyond what the usual mouth swab kits have got to offer.

Mouth Swab Drug Test for the Most Common Drug

Mouth swab drug test can be used for common drug tests when Urine cannot be used for the sample. This method is among the best way to get quick samples and testing for better results.

Marijuana

The mouth swab drug test can search for Marijuana (THC) traces in the saliva where it remains after consumption. It stays there for a certain limited period before getting metabolized within the human body.

Make sure that the test conducted here could detect saliva only within 24 hours of consumption. This means that the testing is only valid for recent use only. The testing practice is quite common among police in the USA and other European countries to detect suspects for marijuana consumption.

Cocaine

Cocaine is a stimulant that is quite commonly snorted by drug addicts in its pure form. It is also sometimes injected in a very impure form, which is known as crack. It is a high health risk drug and consumed by addicts from different social classes.

Cocaine just like marijuana doesn’t stay too long in saliva to be detected through the mouth swab test. This is also the same as the other drug tests that are intended to detect specifically for cocaine consumption. The oral test using mouth swab can detect cocaine consumption only if it has been consumed in the last 48 to 72 hours maximum.

Heroin or Opiates

Heroin addicts in the USA are in very huge numbers and even beyond as well. According to some reliable statistics, the USA considers it an epidemic. Heroin along with other opiates including fentanyl and hydrocodone are quite common targets in the mouth swab drug testing.

It must be noted here that the opiated are all not equally made. It means that their presence in the saliva is different as well. Generally speaking, the specimen of saliva for heroin or opiates can be taken within 24 to 36 hours maximum. Some illegally manufactured opiates pills lead to much more complexity and ambiguity in the drug testing time.

Top Mouth Swab Drug Test Products

To assure you get a perfect kit for testing with the use of mouth swab, we have some with valid results:

5 Panel Mouth Swab Drug Test with Flat Cup

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This post first appeared on Solid Landings Behavioral Health, please read the originial post: here