Surgical sutures absorbable and non-absorbable.

When are surgical sutures used in dentistry?

As part of dental treatment, surgical intervention is often necessary, which involves the formation of a wound that requires closure with sutures. Tooth extraction or root apex resection is very often associated with the need to use surgical sutures.

Absorbable and non-absorbable threads (resorbable and non-resorbable) - what are the differences?

Absorbable surgical sutures are those that dissolve completely after a certain period of time and do not need to be removed manually in the office. Non-absorbable seams require manual removal in the office using tweezers and thread scissors.

What material are surgical sutures made of?

The materials from which surgical threads are made can be divided primarily according to whether they are absorbable or not. Materials from which non-absorbable seams are made: polyamide, polypropylene or silk. Absorbable seams are most often made of a material called PGA (based on polyglycolic acid) or polydioxanone - synthetic materials, they are characterized by high biocompatibility, or classic catgut (organic material, fiber made from sheep or goat intestines). 

Monofilament or multifilament? - division of seams according to the number of fibers

Multifilaments are types of threads that are twisted or braided. They are characterized by high tear resistance and excellent knot fit, but compared to monofilament threads, they cause a sawing and friction effect on the tissue, which causes greater traumatization of the sewing site and a greater risk of germs entering.

Monofilament threads consist of only a single strand of thread, which makes it easier and more delicate to pass through the sewing site. This is crucial, for example, in plastic or vascular surgery. Additionally, there is also a lower risk of bacteria and fungi getting in (monofilament threads are charcatering with excellent resistance to the penetration of microorganisms), which is why they are a great choice in dentistry.

How to choose the size of a surgical thread? - USP and EP system and millimeters

When selecting a seam size, the compromise between the thinnest possible thread size and the strength of the seam in a given clinical situation is primarily decisive. The thread must keep the wound edges unchanged during healing, but should not leave unsightly scars, or these scars should be as small as possible after the healing process is completed.

The thread size itself is most often given in millimeters (in tenths of a millimeter) and in a given standard. The European standard (EP) determines the tensile strength of the thread (the larger the number, the thicker the thread), the USP (American) standard is the most popular, here the smallest sizes are determined by two digits (e.g. 7/0 or 7-0 - the larger the first digit, the smaller the size), while the larger ones are marked from 0 up - the larger the digit, the thicker the thread.