To Suture… or Not Suture Impacted Third Molar Sockets
When it comes to debating whether or not suturing third molar extraction sockets is necessary, the chips fall on both sides of the topic. KCSI Instructor, Dr. Dave Roberts shares his opinion on the topic.
Does Suturing Third Molars Facilitate Healing?
A French study conducted by Takadoum, et al. published in BMC Oral Health, recently validated what many other studies have shown, which indicates that there is no statistical difference seen between sutured and non-sutured groups for pain, swelling, trismus, use of pain killers, healing, complications or quality of life.
So, should you suture 3rd molar extraction sites or not? Turns out, it may just be a matter of personal preference. Dr. Dave Roberts, KCSI instructor for our Continuum 4 Impacted Third Molar Course chimes in on his thoughts about suturing these sites.
“I rarely suture 3rd molar extraction sites. In my over 30 years of practice and tens of thousands of third molar extractions, I have tried both methods- suturing each site and not suturing any sites. What I have found is that it really doesn’t make a difference in bleeding, healing, pain or swelling”.
The French study of 100 healthy patients over the age of 14 confirmed this opinion, concluding ‘sutureless removal of third molars is thus a reliable technique without negative consequence on outcomes, and allows shorter operating time’
“If anything, I have found that placing sutures has the potential to increase post-operative patient concerns”. – Dr. Dave Roberts
“If anything, I have found that placing sutures has the potential to increase post-operative patient concerns, prompting office visits and phone calls for sutures that begin to dissolve, fall out, being mistaken for a foreign body or for increased incidence of food impaction of the socket”, says Dr. Roberts.
Interestingly and predictably, the study did find that patients who experienced the most post-operative pain and complications were smokers. We all know that smoking leads to increased post-operative pain and complications. Smokers, had a 1.94-point higher VAS (Visual Analogic Scale, scored pain on a scale of 1-10) on Day 3 than non-smokers.
“I have always maintained that post-operative pain, swelling and infection are impacted more by post-operative care and following instructions carefully than by whether or not the site it sutured. We see proof of that in this study.” says Dr. Roberts.
Dr. Roberts teaches Continuum 4, our hands-on course on surgical removal of impacted third molars. The course offers proven protocols and techniques to become faster, more efficient and more reliable with the removal of third molars. He points out that the amount of surgery time and treatment of the tissue during third molar extractions has a significant impact on the patient’s post-operative course. Faster surgery times combined with minimizing soft tissue trauma lead to a less painful recovery. He teaches these techniques in his course. A strong believer in really good post-operative instructions for patients, he also shares insights on helping patients experience the best possible post-operative outcomes with the right instructions.
Get Faster, More Predicable With Third Molars
Join Dr. Roberts in September for Continuum 4: Impacted Third Molars in person at our training facility in Plano, Texas or online from the comfort of your home or office. This hands-on course offers instruction on techniques for removal of various types of impactions, anatomincal considerations, prevention and response to complications, post-operative instructions and more. In addition to working with 6 different impaction positions on lifelike models, the course also features a live patient demonstration. For more details on the course, click the button below.
