Using saliva to detect disease holds promise, but it's not perfected yet

"The saliva circulating in your mouth contains troves of microbial information about the rest of your body and is easier to collect than blood samples. Today, a few drops of spit can help detect viruses like HIV and the one that causes COVID-19, or assess genetic risks for breast cancer. Within a few years, experts say, similar tests might be available to diagnose other diseases, such as diabetes or prostate cancer."

"Those tests are created by specific labs approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but the tests are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which requires exhaustive reliability studies. Most companies operating without FDA approval are like OrisDX, a Chicago-based company that in April plans to start selling a test that detects squamous cell head and neck cancers with 93% reliability, says CEO Harald Steltzer."

Saliva contains abundant microbial and molecular information and is easier to collect than blood. Current saliva tests can detect viruses such as HIV and SARS-CoV-2 and assess genetic breast cancer risk. Similar diagnostics could soon target diabetes, prostate cancer, and other conditions. Routine salivary screening in dental settings could enable preventive care, reduce costs, and save lives. High out-of-pocket costs and lack of insurance coverage hinder widespread adoption; typical tests cost $100–$200 and require samples to be mailed to labs. Some saliva tests detect oral disease reliably, but many products lack FDA approval and require further reliability studies.

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