The inne minilab is an at-home cycle-tracking device that measures changes in your hormone levels using your saliva. The convenience and simplicity of saliva testing makes cycle tracking a breeze— no blood, no urine, no needles, and no pain.
Since the minilab operates purely on saliva, getting a good sample is essential to preserving the validity and accuracy of your measurements.
Recently, the inne team has seen more 'no-flow' samples with our users. In other words, some users aren't collecting enough saliva for the sample to work effectively.
If you're dehydrated or have a dry mouth, you may not be able to retrieve a good saliva sample. So to enhance your user experience, we've created a guide on how you can quickly combat a dry mouth and collect the best saliva sample for an accurate reading.
When your glands don't produce enough saliva, your mouth may start getting dry and feeling uncomfortable. Typically, you’ll notice a sensation of oral dryness in your mouth. Plus, your saliva may feel thicker than usual, and you may have trouble swallowing dry foods [1].
Having a dry mouth isn't usually a cause for concern. For instance, inne users observe faulty saliva samples more often in the summer due to reduced saliva production. After all, it's easier to get dehydrated in the summer heat.
Some other possible causes of dry mouth include [1, 2]:
Often, having a dry mouth is simply a nuisance, and increasing your fluid intake may be all you need to do to resolve it. But at times, dry mouth cases may be persistent and significantly impact your quality of life. If so, it's better to get your symptoms investigated by a healthcare provider.
Getting rid of a dry mouth will enable you to collect better saliva samples for testing. Here are some simple lifestyle measures that can generally help to tackle dry mouth symptoms [1]:-
Since dry mouth symptoms may be more prominent in the summer, be sure to hydrate well.
If your dry mouth symptoms persist, it is best to seek the advice of a healthcare professional. They can then investigate any possible underlying causes of your symptoms.
Say your dry mouth is due to a medical condition. In that case, your healthcare professional may recommend treatment for it. They may also recommend saliva substitutes and lubricants or artificial saliva gels, rinses, and sprays.
If your dry mouth is due to a medication you're taking, your doctor may switch it to one less likely to cause that side effect [1].
In many cases, though, all you'll need is good hydration to get a viable sample!
The inne team has designed the saliva test strips to be as quick and simple to use as possible. To collect a saliva sample, simply keep the strip in your mouth for about 30 seconds without biting or sucking it.
Other than staying well-hydrated to avoid 'no-flow' errors, here are some other tips to keep in mind while collecting a sample:-
Following these tips ensures you get the most accurate result possible. The process is really quick and can be easily incorporated into your daily routine—and that's the beauty of the minilab!
If you're interested, feel free to check out the science behind the inne minilab.
1. Talha, B., & Swarnkar, S. A. (2022). Xerostomia. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
2. Alsakran Altamimi M. (2014). Update knowledge of dry mouth- A guideline for dentists. African health sciences, 14(3), 736–742. https://doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v14i3.33