Basic Suture Techniques for Oral Mucosa

Focused Clinical Question: What is the preferred suture method for maintaining wound closure? Summary : Optimal wound healing after surgical procedures requires good soft‐tissue management. The final key step for a refined surgical technique is adequate closure by suturing. This article reviews the most common suturing methods used in dentistry, and their applications in various periodontal surgeries are discussed. The nine most common periodontal suture techniques and six different periodontal surgical categories were selected by the periodontal faculty at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. A survey was distributed to periodontists in the United States, each of whom selected their choice of suture technique for each of the periodontal surgical procedures. The results of this survey show that simple interrupted sutures were used in the majority for each surgical procedure. Conclusion: Although suture selection and application is complex because of multiple variables, an effort was made to establish a general consensus and current trends regarding suturing techniques.