Do You Need Stitches After Wisdom Tooth Removal?

When an impacted tooth is removed, the dentist cuts and lifts a flap of gum to reach it. Stitches put that flap back and hold the edges together while they heal.

They also help control bleeding, keep food out of the socket and protect the clot underneath. They are not strictly needed after every removal. A fully erupted tooth that comes out cleanly may leave a socket that is left open.

Whether you need them depends on the tooth and how it was taken out. Call the clinic to ask how your case would be handled. The wider process is in what happens during a tooth extraction.

Some surgeons also place stitches after a simple extraction when the socket is wide or bleeding more than expected. Having them does not mean something went wrong. It usually means the dentist wanted the gum edges held firmly while they knit together.

Dissolving stitches break down by themselves, usually over one to two weeks, and sometimes longer. You do not need a visit to have them taken out. They loosen, and the ends may feel like fine threads in your mouth.

Removable stitches are made of a material that does not break down, and they have to be taken out by the dentist, commonly after about a week. This is a quick visit, and is painless or nearly so.

You should be told at the time which kind you have, and when to return. If you are not sure, ask. The timing also fits into the general picture in the recovery guide.

Do not assume that a stitch you cannot feel has gone. Some dissolving stitches sit under the gum edge and cannot be seen, and a removable stitch that is left in for weeks can irritate the gum and trap food around the knot.

Feeling them with your tongue, a slightly tight or pulled feeling at the site, and a little pink-tinged saliva or oozing on the first day are normal. So is some soreness and swelling, which peak at around two to three days.

Loose threads, or a stitch that starts to come away from day three or four, are also common, particularly with dissolving ones. A thread that is a bit long can irritate your cheek, and the dentist can trim it.

The first few days are when most people notice their stitches, because the area is swollen and the tongue keeps exploring. Try to leave it alone. Constant probing is one of the easier ways to disturb the clot and prolong soreness.

Do not pull on a thread, and do not cut it yourself. You may disturb the clot, and the knot may be holding the flap.

A stitch that comes out or a loose thread that falls away is usually fine, especially after the first couple of days. The gum often stays in place without it. Keep the area clean, avoid poking it, and mention it to the dentist.

It is not fine if there is bleeding that does not stop after twenty minutes of firm pressure on fresh damp gauze, a socket that opens up with exposed bone, or pain that returns and worsens after a quiet day or two, which may be dry socket. Call the clinic in that case.

Do not try to push a stitch back or tie it. Leave that to the dentist.

If you are away from home or the clinic is closed when a stitch comes out, you do not need to panic. Rinse gently as usual, avoid chewing on that side, and ring the clinic during opening hours to describe what happened. Take a photo only if it helps you describe it, and do not stretch your cheek to look.

On the first day, do not rinse. From the next day, rinse gently with warm salt water after meals by tilting your head, not swishing. Brush the other teeth as normal and be careful near the site.

Eat soft food, cool or lukewarm, and chew on the other side. Avoid chips, nuts, seeds and sticky food that could catch on the stitches. No smoking, straws or spitting.

Swelling that grows after day three, fever, pus, a bad taste that persists, or numbness that does not go need a call to the clinic. Difficulty opening your mouth or swallowing needs same-day care. If breathing or swallowing is affected, go to a hospital emergency department. Reasons for removal are in wisdom tooth pain and removal.

A thread caught between teeth can be gently rinsed away. Use a small, soft brush on the nearby teeth rather than the site itself, and keep to this routine until the dentist says the area has healed. The reasons a tooth is taken out in the first place are on the wisdom tooth pain page.