In this guide, we’re going to explain how to pass a saliva drug test. You’ll learn how a saliva drug test works, how long drugs can be detected in saliva, and the most common methods people use to pass mouth drug tests.
How to Pass A Saliva Drug Test 2025 – The Main Points
- Saliva drug tests are also called oral fluid drug tests and mouth swab drug tests. No matter the name used, the drug tests all work in the same way.
- Saliva drug tests have a fairly short detection window and can only detect recent drug use.
- Various substances can help you pass a saliva drug test, but none are guaranteed to work every time.
- A 72-hour detox is the best way to pass a saliva drug test.
How Does A Saliva Drug Test Work?
- You won’t be allowed to eat or drink anything in the 10 minutes before your test.
- A sample of your saliva is collected with a Q-Tip-like swab or a small sponge.
- If drugs are present in saliva, the immunoassay test reacts in a few minutes and displays a positive result.
- Positive results are then confirmed with laboratory analysis.
Which Drugs Can Be Found On A Saliva Drug Test?
Saliva drug tests are used to detect these commonly abused drugs:
- Marijuana
- Cocaine
- Opiates
- Amphetamine & Methamphetamine
- Phencyclidine
- Barbiturates
- Benzodiazepines
- Methadone
- Ecstasy
- Oxycodone
- Methaqualone
- Propoxyphene
What’s The Detection Window On Saliva Drug Tests?
The drug detection window on a saliva test is usually given as 24 – 48 hours, but it can be a little longer for some drugs.
The period you could test positive will depend on the type of drug you’ve used, how much you’ve taken, and your individual metabolism.
In general, though, you can use the following drug detection windows as a guide.
- Marijuana – up to 48 hours
- Cocaine – up to 48 hours
- Opiates – up to 48 hours
- Amphetamine and methamphetamine – up to 48 hours
- Phencyclidine (PCP) – up to 48 hours
- Barbiturates – up to 48 hours
- Benzodiazepines – up to 48 hours
- Oxycodone – up to 48 hours
- Methadone – up to 72 hours
- Methaqualone – up to 72 hours
- Propoxyphene – up to 72 hours
- Ecstasy – up to 72 hours
Can You Use Detox Method To Pass a Saliva Drug Test?
If you’ve been given prior notice of your drug test, the most sensible thing to do is to abstain from using drugs, so you’ll be outside the detection window when it’s time to take the drug test.
Abstaining for the necessary period is the only surefire way to pass a saliva drug test. You’ll risk failing the test if you decide to take drugs, even though you know you’ve got a drug test in the next day or two.
The detection windows given above are general guidelines and if you take drugs regularly or use large amounts, then it’s wise to add an extra day to your detox to be on the safe side.
Many drug users (who don’t have an addiction) abstain for 7 days before a saliva drug test for their own peace of mind because they know they won’t run any risk of getting a positive result.
Of course, knowing about a drug test in advance is an ideal scenario, but often a drug test comes as a surprise and you won’t have time to detox.
What can you do to pass a saliva drug test when you don’t have much time to prepare? Let’s look at some popular methods people use in an emergency.
See Also: How To Pass A Swab Test With Listerine Strips?
How To Pass A Saliva Drug Test With Chewing Gum
The chewing gum method is used when there isn’t time to use any other method. It’s an emergency measure and doesn’t guarantee that you’ll pass the test. All this can do is give you a better chance of passing.
Chewing gum is something you can easily keep in your pocket or in your locker at work to use when you’re facing a surprise saliva drug test. And if you don’t have any to hand, a co-worker probably has some they can give to you.
Take a piece of gum and chew vigorously. If you’ve got time to chew more than one piece of gum before your test, replace the gum when your saliva production drops off.
Why is this supposed to work?
Your body secretes drug metabolites into your saliva at a steady rate. When you have more saliva in your mouth, the concentration of drug metabolites will be lower.
If the drug concentration in your saliva sample is below the cutoff level for that drug, you’ll pass the drug test.
The cutoff level for marijuana, for example, is usually 4 ng/mL. If a saliva sample is below 4 ng/mL, it will be negative for marijuana.
The chewing gum method can be even more effective if you use a specialty product like Oral Clear chewing gum.
This brand of gum contains hydrogen peroxide which will give your mouth a last-minute clean right before you take your drug test.
Passing A Saliva Drug Test With Sour Candy
Sucking sour candy is another effective way to increase your saliva production.
Sour candy is very good at flooding the mouth with saliva and the increase in saliva production is maintained for a little while after you’ve finished your piece of candy.
There’s another benefit you can get from sour candy which can help to improve your odds of passing a saliva drug test.
The citric acid in sour candy changes the pH level in your mouth. Studies have found that this altered pH level results in a lower saliva concentration of cocaine, codeine, and methamphetamine, and researchers speculate that the effect will be similar for other drugs.
The effects of sour candy on your saliva production and oral pH could give you the edge you need to pass a saliva drug test.
How To Pass A Saliva Drug Test For Marijuana
The main way marijuana enters saliva is through contamination of the oral cavity. When you smoke or eat marijuana, the skin inside your mouth (your oral mucosal lining) absorbs Delta 9-THC and then releases it into your saliva at a steady rate over the next 24 – 48 hours.
You need to do two things if you want to have any chance of passing a saliva drug test.
- Clean THC from your mouth
- Increase your saliva production to dilute the THC concentration in your saliva
Brush Your Mouth
Use a medium or soft bristle toothbrush to thoroughly scrub your teeth, gums, inside your cheeks, tongue, and the roof of your mouth. Don’t use a firm bristle brush, because you’ll hurt the delicate tissue in your mouth.
Floss
Use dental floss or a water flosser like Waterpik to remove the plaque and other debris from in between your teeth.
Rinse With Mouthwash
Rinse with mouthwash to finish your deep clean. Swish the mouthwash around several times before spitting it out, then repeat. If there’s any possibility that you’ll face a breath test for alcohol as well as the saliva drug test, make sure you use an alcohol-free mouthwash.
Try Oil Pulling
Giving your mouth a deep clean helps to remove traces of marijuana, but you can go one step further with oil pulling.
THC has an affinity for oil, so rinsing your mouth with oil will pull more THC from your oral tissues.
Use a tablespoon of oil and swish it around your mouth. Keep moving it around for about 5 minutes, then spit it out, and brush your teeth.
Now you’ve removed as much marijuana residue as possible from your mouth, you’ll need to keep your saliva levels high by chewing gum or sucking sour candy until it’s time for your test.
Does Hydrogen Peroxide Help you Pass A Saliva Drug test?
Rinsing with a hydrogen peroxide mouthwash can help to clean marijuana residue from your mouth. But hydrogen peroxide won’t help you increase your saliva production.
Using hydrogen peroxide is better than using nothing if you don’t have time to clean your mouth properly and you’re worried about failing a saliva test for marijuana.
Rinse your mouth with a hydrogen peroxide mouthwash for 1 minute, then spit the rinse into the sink. Don’t swallow hydrogen peroxide!
Follow up by rinsing your mouth with plenty of fresh water.
Test Yourself Using An At-Home Saliva Drug Test
The only way to know how long the drug you take will be detected in your system is to test yourself.
When you look online for advice, you’ll get general timelines which are helpful. But as a regular drug user, you should know how long the drug you take will be detectable on a saliva drug test given the quantities you use.
Pharmacies, supermarkets, and big box stores all sell a range of saliva drug tests, and saliva drug tests are easy to pick up from online retailers too.
Purchase several tests so you can test yourself on day 1, day 2, and day 3 (if necessary) to find out how soon after your last use you will be able to pass a saliva drug test.
Carry out further tests to find out how effective the methods we’ve covered in this guide are for the drug you use.
Recap
When you’re wondering how to pass a saliva drug test, there’s only one method that’s guaranteed to work, and that’s the detox method.
When you detox, you’ll be outside the saliva drug test detection window.
If you don’t have time to detox, clean your mouth thoroughly, then use chewing gum or sour candy to stimulate saliva production.
Use a mouthwash before your test, and even if you can only rinse with plenty of water, that’s better than nothing.
See Also: Took Drug Test Friday When Should I Know Results?
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