Introduction
This is a drug-sensitive test where the presence of drugs is detected through saliva. This is a Sensitive color test. This is known for being less invasive in testing, and this is affordable compared to other types of tests. Mouth swab drug tests use color to differentiate between positive and negative results. Rather than gastric lavage, aspirate, and other tests, this test is patient and technician friendly. This is most suitable in places where drug usage rehabilitation is carried out to ensure a good future for victims of drug usage.
Method and precautions:
- This test is used in occupational places that have stringent rules against the usage of certain drugs. These companies have a mouth swab drug testing kit as a precautionary mode to screen the prohibited drug usage.
- The person advised to take a drug intake screening test through a mouth swab drug test should not take coffee or other drinks. He or she should not eat or drink 10 minutes before the test.
- The test is done directly in the abode where the person is present. The technician uses an instrument with a Q tip with cotton at its end. This instrument is inserted in the person’s inner cheek near the tongue. Then the swab is taken out.
- This position to place the swab is chosen as in this location, there is increased drainage of saliva from salivary glands such as parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands. The major salivary gland is the parotid gland, which has its duct at the dorsum of the tongue.
- This test is taken inside the job premises; the swab should be kept in the proper medium to avoid contamination and false-positive and negative results. The travel time should be fastened to ensure sensitive and specific results.
- This can be taken both by the person subjected to testing or by the technician as it is easily instructable and performed.
Drugs that can be tested:
There are certain groups of drugs that the mouth swab drug testing kit can test. Especially drugs involving addiction are getting tested from saliva through a test kit. Drugs, namely
- alcohol,
- benzodiazepine
- amphetamine,
- Marijuana,
- cocaine,
- barbiturates,
- oxycodone,
- MDMA,
- Methamphetamine is tested using mouth swab drug testing.
- Marijuana can be detected within 24 hours after intake; benzodiazepines have a variable testing time as an expected duration. These groups of drugs can be detected within 10 days after consumption.
- A certain group called Ativan is metabolically active after consumption. So Ativan can be detected after five days of consumption.
- MDMA is an important drug that can be detected after one hour of consumption, but this can’t be detected after a longer interval as the body absorbs the drug within 24 hours of intake.
- Opiates are detected after 24 to 36 hours of intake.
- Methamphetamine is detected after 10 minutes from consumption, and this drug can be detected after 4 days in saliva.
- The results of the tests depend on the amount of drug, frequency of drug intake, and mode of drug administration. These factors contribute to the sensitivity of drug testing.
Factors that can change the results:
The food is taken, the immense amount of water drunk and mouthwash usage does not impact the test results of mouth swab drug testing.
Certain tests and results suggest that intake of sweets, chewing gum, and citric acid fruits or sweets can change the test results of mouth swab drug testing.
Mouth swab test results interpretation:
Test results are interpreted through drug test mouth swab colors
Negative results:
If the mouth swab drug test turns pink, or red the test kit, after adding the subject’s saliva, produces a pink or red line even in the milder form, then it is said that the person tested is negative for the usage of the drug tested. There is no need to probe further tests for the negative patient. If the patient gets an oral drug test that turns pink for all drugs, he is negative for all drugs.
Positive results:
The absence of a red or pink line is considered a positive result.
Where can you buy a mouth swab drug test:
This is present in major online shopping websites such as Amazon, Flipkart, etc. You can also buy these kits from your nearby pharmacy or through me plus online.