How can oral hygiene impact the results of the Intoxilyzer 8000?

Mouth alcohol contamination is a significant concern when using the Intoxilyzer 8000, which is a breath alcohol testing device. If an individual has poor oral hygiene, it can lead to residual alcohol remaining in the mouth, throat, or even on dental work, such as fillings or crowns. This residual alcohol can be inadvertently inhaled when the individual exhales into the breathalyzer, leading to a falsely elevated blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reading.

The presence of mouth alcohol occurs because alcohol can be absorbed in the tissues of the mouth and can linger after consuming alcohol, especially if proper oral hygiene practices are not followed, such as brushing teeth or rinsing the mouth. This can skew the results of the breath test, resulting in decisions based on inaccurate data.

Improving oral hygiene may reduce the likelihood of mouth alcohol affecting the results but does not directly contribute to test accuracy. Instead, it's the issue of contamination that plays a direct role in interpreting the results of the Intoxilyzer. Thus, recognizing the impact of oral hygiene is crucial for ensuring accurate alcohol testing and the integrity of the results obtained from the device.