Note: The person should not have drunk or eaten for 10 minutes prior to testing.
This is the procedure for opening the foil pouch and performing the test
The syringe cap should be snapped onto the tube using both thumbs and then the syringe should be pushed down to expel the contents into the tube below.
Immediately after adding the saliva to the bottom of the tube it must be mixed quickly by flicking the tube with a finger many times to create a swirling mix of the contents
The tube must be left for 10 minutes for the colour to develop.
Hold the tube against a white background to help read the colour.
Any trace of pink means the test is positive. Any other colour should be interpreted as negative.
Note: After 20 minutes the colour will change which is why the test must be read no longer than 10 minutes from initiation of the test.
Thank you.
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Saliva Cotinine Testing
GFC Diagnostics has developed a salivary cotinine test. The improved assay is more sensitive and specific than the previous test, being reported at 90% and 98% respectively, with an accuracy of 94% (Eur Resp J 2012). We have included a saliva collecting device which consists of a white collecting swab and vial.
The swab actively absorbs saliva and when saturated holds approximately 1.5ml, but this can be used repeatedly to collect the right amount of saliva.
The swab is squeezed into the bottle which has markings on the side to ensure the correct volume is collected.
The saliva collecting device is available separately.
Click the Ordering codes button above to place an order.
The new saliva test is ideally suited for the dental profession and studying smoking-related oral disease. An article in Preventative Dentistry highlights the role of smoking in causing periodontitis. It can also be used in pharmacies to verify smoking, especially for the insurance industry.
Work with the previous saliva test was published (Annals of Clinical Biochemistry 2000; 37: 666-673) and an evaluation undertaken with the test at the dental chair-side test to quantify nicotine intake, a comparison with oral health parameters and an intervention to improve smoking cessation.
The results (IADRA 2004) showed significant correlations between salivary SmokeScreen cotinine values and incidence of caries (r=0.25, p<0.01), Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) scores (r=0.4, p<0.001), probing pocket depths (r=0.26 p<0.01), mobility, (r=0.34, p<0.001) and the presence of adverse oral mucosal change (r=0.26, p<0.01).
The evaluation was published in the British Medical Journal 2005; 331: 999-1002 and showed a higher smoking quit rate was achieved with the point of care test (23% cases v 7% controls; p < 0.04), and overall tobacco use also decreased (68% cases v 28% controls; P < 0.001).
The conclusions were that incorporation of individualised personal feedback using a point of care test for salivary nicotine metabolites into a general practice based smoking cessation programme increased quit rates by 17% at eight weeks and reduced tobacco use.
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