Has anyone actually had stitches that didn’t dissolve at all? Wondering if that’s even possible or just super rare.
I’ve heard of it happening, but it’s not common. Mine took almost five weeks and I started to worry too, but my ortho said sometimes they just hang on longer depending on your saliva or if you’re a “slow healer.” I did end up having one stubborn stitch removed at a follow-up. As long as there’s no pain or swelling, it’s usually just annoying rather than dangerous.
I see this come up a lot, and honestly, it’s more common than people think for stitches to hang around way longer than you’d expect. I’ve had patients come in totally convinced something’s wrong just because a suture didn’t budge after a month. Usually it’s just the body being slow about breaking it down. Some folks just don’t dissolve the material as fast—saliva chemistry, healing speed, even how much you’re talking or eating can play a role.
But I do get anxious about leaving them in too long, even if there’s no pain or redness. I’ve seen rare cases where an old stitch irritated the gum or trapped food... not dangerous, but definitely annoying and sometimes it starts smelling funky. Have you noticed any weird taste or swelling? That’s when I’d start worrying.
Curious—has anyone ever had to have stitches physically removed after months? I always wonder if leaving them that long could cause more irritation than just taking them out early.
- Seen this a bunch—sometimes those dissolvable stitches just like to stick around.
- I’ve had to snip a couple out for people after 2-3 months. No big deal if there’s no pain or swelling, but yeah, food can get trapped and it gets annoying.
- Personally, I’d rather take out a stubborn stitch than let it irritate the gum for ages.
- As long as it’s not red, swollen, or tasting weird, I wouldn’t stress. But if it bugs you, just ask to have it checked.
Wouldn’t freak out unless it’s red, puffy, or giving off that “uh-oh” taste. I’ve seen stitches hang out way past their welcome—sometimes they’re just stubborn. If it’s comfy and not catching lunch leftovers, you’re probably fine. But if it’s bugging you, snip-snip is easy.
Had a couple stitches hang on for way longer than I expected after getting my wisdom teeth yanked. Was kinda weird, but as long as it wasn’t hurting or looking gnarly, I just let it be. Dentist said sometimes they just don’t wanna dissolve on schedule. One finally came out while I was eating popcorn... bit of a surprise, but no big deal. If it’s not angry or gross, I wouldn’t stress too much.
