Some individuals occasionally have difficulties providing the quantity of saliva required for our analysis. Make sure to review the instructions included with your kit and our article about providing your saliva sample.
If providing adequate sample volume is a challenge for you or someone you are assisting, the following may help increase saliva production:
- Gently rubbing the outside of your cheeks
- Making chewing motions with your mouth
- Smelling or imagining sour foods such as lemons
- Thinking about your own favorite food
Biting or scraping your cheeks is not recommended; keep in mind that the majority of the cells analyzed in your saliva sample will not be epithelial cells from your cheeks but white blood cells that are found naturally in your saliva.
Collecting saliva within 30 minutes
The full saliva sample should be collected within 30 minutes and the funnel contents should be released into the tube immediately. This buffer prevents DNA from degrading over time; waiting longer than 30 minutes or delaying the release of the buffer solution may decrease the yield and quality of your DNA.
Individuals experiencing xerostomia (dry mouth) naturally or as a side effect of medication may have difficulty producing enough saliva within the recommended 30 minutes. If you are unable to produce the required amount of saliva within 30 minutes, you can release the buffer into the tube first, then add your sample on top of the buffer until it reaches the top of the tube. If the buffer liquid is spilled you will need to request a new kit.