What is an Oral Drug Test?

There are several ways that you can be tested for drug use if you are ever required to do so. Some situations that might require you to take a drug test include applying for a job or enlisting in the military, being arrested, or being on probation. Drug tests can be conducted using samples of saliva, blood, urine, or even hair. An oral drug test that tests your saliva is a common method to use to check for a variety of drugs that might be present in your system. These might include marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamine, and methamphetamine. If you have been asked to take a drug test, or perhaps have used drugs and are concerned about taking one in the future, it’s a good idea to know how they work and what they can detect,

How Is an Oral Drug Test Conducted?

The first thing you might be wondering is how an oral drugs test is carried out. It is, in fact, one of the most simple tests to take. There are no needles involved, and there’s no trying to give a urine sample with someone watching. All it involves is someone taking a sample of saliva from your mouth by swabbing the inside of your cheek. It only takes a few seconds to do, and the swab is then put into a container and sent to a lab to be tested.

How Long Can Drugs Be Detected in Saliva?

Another important thing to understand is how long drugs can be detected through the testing of saliva. Most of the time, an oral drug test can only tell if someone has used drugs within the last 24 to 48 hours. If drug use occurred more than two days ago, it’s unlikely the results would be positive. However, it’s important to remember that everybody and drug is different. Some can stay in the system for several days. Habitual users of marijuana can find that THC is detectable for several months.

How Soon Can Drugs Be Picked Up in Saliva?

Drugs can be detected through an oral test in as little as 30 to 60 minutes after use. This makes it quicker than some other methods, such as urine samples, which might not pick up on such recent use. Because it can pick up on drug use that occurred very recently, an oral test is often used by law enforcement after accidents or if the test is due to a suspicion that someone has recently taken drugs.

How Do Saliva Drug Tests Work?

It can also be useful to understand how the saliva is tested for drugs. Most companies that carry out testing on saliva samples put them through a couple of stages. For example, they might use enzyme immunoassay technology to test it the first time. This technology helps to avoid the possibility of a false positive from an over-the-counter medication.  If a positive result is obtained, they then test it again using mass spectrometry, which gives an even more accurate result.

Oral drug tests are a simple but effective method of testing for drugs. They can detect recent drug use, although not necessarily after more than a couple of days.

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