A baseline for your mouth
See what’s there today, so you have something to compare with later.
New · Oral Health DNA
An oral microbiome test: one easy saliva sample shows which bacteria linked to gum disease and cavities are in your mouth, and how much. Results in about five business days after the lab receives your activated sample.
$199everything included · the kit, prepaid return shipping and the lab analysis
One-time payment. Nothing renews. Self-pay only. We don’t bill insurance for this test.
Tested in our own CLIA-certified lab in Chicago. Orders shipped to New York are completed through a physician order or a reference laboratory permitted in New York.
- Results in about five business days
- No needles. Just a swab at home
- A plain-English report
Why it matters
Gum trouble often starts quietly. The bacteria linked to it are far too small to see in a mirror. One saliva sample shows you which ones are there, and how much.
About 4 in 10 U.S. adults aged 30 and older have gum disease.
A public-health figure for the country as a whole. Source: CDC, NHANES 2009–2014.
What you’ll find out
Each result shows how much we found, so you can see where you stand today and compare it later.
Along the gumlineGum bacteria
On tooth surfacesCavity and good bacteria
On the tongueYeast
Around an implantImplant bacteria
In your salivaCommon viruses
Gum bacteria
Nine of the bacteria most linked to gum disease, and how much of each is there.
Worth knowingGum trouble can build without pain, so it helps to know what’s there.
Cavity bacteria
The main cavity-causing bacterium, and how much of it you carry.
Worth knowingUseful to talk over if cavities keep coming back.
Good bacteria
A helpful bacterium linked to a healthy mouth.
Worth knowingHere, a higher level is generally a good sign.
Yeast
A common yeast that can overgrow with a dry mouth or dentures.
Worth knowingWorth knowing if you wear dentures or often have a dry mouth.
Implant bacteria
A bacterium of interest for people with dental implants.
Worth knowingAdds context to your dentist’s checkups on an implant.
Common viruses
Four common viruses that can show up in saliva.
Worth knowingShown simply as detected or not detected.
Saliva results for viruses can't tell whether an infection is active, and a not-detected result does not rule one out.
See all 17, with their scientific names
For the curious. Every amount on the report is measured in genomic copies per mL.
Gum bacteria
Porphyromonas gingivalis
One of the three red-complex organisms, most often found together with Td and Tf.
Treponema denticola
A red-complex spirochete usually found together with Pg and Tf in more advanced plaque.
Tannerella forsythia
Commonly found with Td and Pg where gum inflammation is advanced.
Prevotella intermedia
An orange-complex organism that bridges early plaque to the red-complex organisms.
Campylobacter rectus
An orange-complex organism typically found in more mature, established plaque.
Fusobacterium nucleatum
A bridge organism that physically links early and late colonizers within dental plaque.
Fusobacterium animalis
A close relative of Fn, also found helping bridge plaque communities.
Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans
An early colonizer most studied in people with fast-progressing, early-onset gum changes.
Eikenella corrodens
An early colonizer generally considered lower-risk among the organisms on this panel.
Cavity bacteria
Streptococcus mutans
The main cavity-causing bacterium on this panel, feeding on sugars to produce the acid that wears enamel.
Good bacteria
Streptococcus sanguinis
Associated with healthy plaque; a higher amount is generally favourable.
Yeast
Candida albicans
A yeast commonly found in the mouth, sometimes overgrowing under dentures or with a dry mouth.
Implant bacteria
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
A bacterium of interest around dental implants, uncommon in a healthy mouth.
Common viruses
Herpes simplex virus 1
A very common virus that can be shed in saliva without active illness.
Herpes simplex virus 2
A herpes virus that is only occasionally detected in saliva.
Cytomegalovirus
A common virus that most adults carry, which can be shed in saliva without symptoms.
Epstein-Barr virus
A common virus, often linked with mononucleosis, that can be shed in saliva without active illness.
Your report, explained
A clear summary, simple bars and plain next steps. Point to or tap a number to see that part of the report.
Sample report · illustrative results
Oral Health DNA
Your results, in plain English
Your mouth at a glance
6
areaschecked
- Gum bacteriaHigher than typical
- Cavity bacteriaTypical
- Good bacteriaHealthy level
- YeastFound
- Common virusesNot detected
How much we found
- Gum bacteriaHigher than typical
- Cavity bacteriaTypical
- Good bacteriaHealthy level
- YeastFound
- Implant bacteriaNone found
Common viruses
Detected or not detected only- Herpes simplex virus 1Not detected
- Herpes simplex virus 2Not detected
- CytomegalovirusNot detected
- Epstein-Barr virusNot detected
Saliva results for viruses can't tell whether an infection is active, and a not-detected result does not rule one out.
Talking points for your dentist
- Ask whether a professional cleaning makes sense for you.
- Ask how often you should come back.
- Retest later to see how your levels change.
How it works
Order. Swab. Read.
No needles and no appointment. Everything you need comes in the kit.
Order online
Order online. The kit is mailed to your door.
Swab at home, send it back
Wait 30 minutes after eating or drinking, then rub the soft swab along your lower gums, 10 times on each side. Seal it in its tube and send it back as the kit explains. No needles and no appointment.
We test it in our lab
Tested in our own CLIA-certified lab in Chicago, where we measure how much of each bacterium is there and check for common viruses.
Orders shipped to New York are completed through a physician order or a reference laboratory permitted in New York.
Get your results
Your results arrive through the lab’s secure link, which we email you about five business days after the lab receives your activated sample, in plain English and ready to share with your dentist.
What’s in your kit
- The swab and its tubeA soft sponge swab on a cap, and a tube with a little liquid that keeps your sample stable in the post.
- Step-by-step instructionsPrinted, in plain words, from the wait before you start to the post box.
- An activation cardYour kit ID, with a QR code and a barcode. Scan it to activate your kit before you mail it.
- A specimen bagA sealable bag with an absorbent pad inside, which the postal rules ask for.
- A sealA sticker across the box flap, so it arrives as you closed it.
- A prepaid return boxThe return box and a prepaid USPS return label. Postage is paid.
Why people test
You don’t need a problem to be curious. These are good places to start.
After a cleaning, see what changed
Test before and after a professional cleaning, then compare your levels.
Dental implants
It includes a bacterium of interest around implants, to share at your checkups.
A better conversation at your next visit
Bring a clear, plain-English report to your dentist.
Your mouth and the rest of you
Researchers are studying how the health of your mouth connects to the rest of your body.
Research links gum disease with heart disease and diabetes, but the American Heart Association says a cause-and-effect link has not been confirmed.
This test doesn’t measure any of that. It shows what’s living in your mouth, so you and your dentist can look after it.
Looking after your gums is always worth it.
Why ours
How much, not just yes or no
We measure the amount of each bacterium, so you can compare results over time.
Tested in our own CLIA-certified lab in Chicago.
Orders shipped to New York are completed through a physician order or a reference laboratory permitted in New York.
See inside the labResults in about five business days
About five business days after the lab receives your activated sample, through the lab’s secure link, which we email you.
Written in plain English
Clear words and simple bars, not a page of lab codes.
Easy to share with your dentist
Made to bring along to your next visit.
Your results are never sold, and never shared for marketing or research
Read the Privacy Promise
The people behind it
Dr. Shawn Desai, Ph.D., J.D., N.R.C.C.
Board-certified CLIA high-complexity laboratory director
Oral Health DNA
One oral microbiome test. Everything included.
$199one-time
One-time payment. Nothing renews. Self-pay only. We don’t bill insurance for this test.
What’s included
- The kit
- Prepaid return shipping
- The lab analysis
- Results in about five business days after the lab receives your activated sample
The guarantee
Full refund within 30 days of ordering, as long as your results haven’t been delivered. Once your results are delivered, the guarantee no longer applies.
Questions
Is this a diagnostic test?
Oral Health DNA is a laboratory-developed test performed in our own CLIA-certified laboratory. New York is the exception: orders shipped there are completed through a physician order or a reference laboratory permitted in New York. It has not been cleared or approved by the FDA. It measures the DNA of microbes in your saliva, not your DNA: it is not a genetic test, not a diagnosis, and not a prediction of any disease.
Is it a genetic test?
No. It reads the DNA of the bacteria, yeast and viruses in your saliva, not your own DNA.
Does it check for herpes?
It checks for four common viruses, and the two herpes simplex viruses are among them. Saliva results for viruses can't tell whether an infection is active, and a not-detected result does not rule one out. If you have questions about a result, talk to a doctor.
How do I collect the sample?
A saliva swab from along your gums, at home. Wait 30 minutes after eating or drinking, then rub the soft swab along your lower gums, 10 times on each side. Seal it in its tube and send it back as the kit explains.
How long do results take?
About five business days after the lab receives your activated sample. They arrive through the lab’s secure link, which we email you.
What happens to my sample?
We destroy your sample within 30 days of your results unless you separately consent to storing it. We don’t offer that consent at checkout today, so we never store a sample beyond that. If you ask us to destroy your sample sooner, we complete that within 30 days, and confirm it to you in writing.
Is it part of the membership?
No. It’s a separate test, bought on its own.
Can I share it with my dentist?
Yes. The report is written in plain English, made to share.
What if I live in New York?
Orders shipped to New York are completed through a physician order or a reference laboratory permitted in New York.
What if I want a refund?
Full refund within 30 days of ordering, as long as your results haven’t been delivered. Once your results are delivered, the guarantee no longer applies.
See what’s living in your mouth.
$199everything included · the kit, prepaid return shipping and the lab analysis
One-time payment. Nothing renews. Self-pay only. We don’t bill insurance for this test.
Please read
NoteOral Health DNA is a laboratory-developed test performed in our own CLIA-certified laboratory. New York is the exception: orders shipped there are completed through a physician order or a reference laboratory permitted in New York. It has not been cleared or approved by the FDA. It measures the DNA of microbes in your saliva, not your DNA: it is not a genetic test, not a diagnosis, and not a prediction of any disease.
NoteResearch links gum disease with heart disease and diabetes, but the American Heart Association says a cause-and-effect link has not been confirmed.