Sutures are routinely placed during an oral surgery or facial procedure to minimize bleeding and reapproximate skin or tissue minimizing scarring. There are two categories of sutures or stitches: Resorbable (dissolving) or Non-resorbable. Each category has different properties that are used in different situations. Non-resorbing sutures are many times used for skin for its strength and decreased irritation or skin reaction. The disadvantage is that they need to be removed at a different time after the initial healing has taken place.
Most of the time local anesthetic isn’t even needed and it is a simple procedure. There are many different times of dissolving sutures with different strengths and weaknesses. The resorbable sutures we used for routine extractions and wisdom teeth typically dissolve in 7-10 days. For implants and bone grafting the sutures dissolve in about two weeks. If the loose ends become bothersome or become loose as they dissolve, you are welcome to trim/remove them after day 5 or come by our office to have them removed.