Your oral microbiome collection

Don't change any prescribed or regular medications or supplements without your practitioner's guidance. If they're happy for you to, follow the timing below.

• 14 days: Finish any short-term medications such as antibiotics or antifungals.
• 7 days: Stop anti-inflammatories (where possible), finish any courses of botanical antimicrobials or antifungals, and stop probiotics (where possible).
• 24 hours: No antimicrobial mouthwashes, and abstain from oral sex.
• On the day: Don't eat or drink in the 30 minutes before collecting. If you wear a dental prosthesis, don't apply fixing cream beforehand.

This is a two-part process using two different collectors. Wash your hands before each part, and do them in order.

The cheek swab

• Peel open the package and take out the swab. Hold it by the white stick, at the indentation point — don't touch the soft swab or hold it by the very end.
• Swab the inside of both cheeks for 30 seconds, rotating the swab as you go.
• Place the swab into the ESwab tube and push until the pre-moulded break-point line meets the tube's entry point, then snap the swab there.
• Discard the handle above the break point (don't cut or touch the swab end), seal the tube tightly, and label it with your name, date of birth and time of collection.

The saliva sample

• Gently spit into the funnel until your liquid saliva (not the bubbles) reaches the fill line — this usually takes about 5–10 minutes. Shake the tube gently if it helps the saliva flow.
• Holding the tube upright, slowly unscrew the funnel — this releases the stabilising liquid into the tube. Shake carefully so it mixes in fully, then discard the funnel.
• Keeping it upright, take the small lid from the base of the tube, place it over the opening and screw it on tightly.
• Once sealed, invert the tube 5 times to mix. Label it with your name, date of birth and collection date.

Check your kit

What this test analyses

A PCR analysis of your oral microbiome across 32 markers, including:

Measures: Oral pH · Pathogenic bacteria · Opportunistic bacteria · Fungi (candida) · Normal oral flora

Send both collectors back to the lab — the cheek-swab tube and the saliva tube.

• Place both tubes into the sealable section of the specimen transport bag and seal it.
• Check your request form is complete and place it into the non-sealable section of the transport bag. Complete your Patient Checklist too.
• Put everything into the reply-paid padded envelope and post it back the same day via your nearest Australia Post outlet or express post box.

Before you post — quick check

• Cheek swab snapped off and sealed; saliva tube capped and inverted 5×
• Both tubes labelled (name, date of birth, date/time)
• Request & Checklist forms complete
• Posting the same day you collect