Mouth Swab

What a mouth swab test detects

Saliva shows recent use — broadly the last few hours to a day, where urine shows several days. That makes it the better answer to whether someone is impaired now, and the weaker one for whether they used last week. The two specimens answer different questions.

Why collection matters

A mouth swab is taken in front of the person collecting it. There is no privacy requirement, no collection station, no opportunity to substitute or dilute a sample — which is the single largest source of dispute in urine screening. Post-accident and reasonable-suspicion testing are where this matters most.

Panels and alcohol

Five to twelve panels, with no-THC configurations available. Selected models include an alcohol strip, which urine screening cannot offer at the point of collection.

Regulatory status

Eight configurations are Employment & Insurance (E&I) Exempt under the FDA exemption notice of 11 July 2017 — usable for workplace and insurance screening, not for clinical diagnosis. Four are For Forensic Use Only, generally those including benzodiazepines, buprenorphine or alcohol. Each product states its status.

Ordering

Oral fluid tests are sold by the case, 50 or 100 tests.