Totally get the paranoia about stitches just...vanishing. I kept poking at mine with my tongue like they were going to unravel any second. From what my oral surgeon told me, rinsing gently is good, but obsessively swishing or eating super hot stuff can actually slow things down. That said, I ate a lot of ice cream and mashed potatoes, and mine still took forever. Healing’s more like a moody roommate—never on schedule, but eventually gets their act together.
I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I never worried much about how long the stitches took. Mine stuck around for almost three weeks after my wisdom teeth came out, and my dentist just shrugged it off—said it’s pretty normal. I actually found poking at them made things feel worse, so I just tried to forget about them. The only time I’d freak is if there was pain or swelling that got worse, but otherwise, I figure slow and steady is better than rushing the healing.
I get the whole “don’t poke at them” thing—I always tell patients to leave stitches alone. But honestly, if they’re still hanging around past two weeks, I start to get a little nervous. Had a patient once who thought it was normal, but turns out one stitch got trapped under the gum and started causing irritation. No major drama, but it did mean an extra appointment to get it out. Maybe I just worry too much, but I’d rather double-check than wait for something to go wrong...
But honestly, if they’re still hanging around past two weeks, I start to get a little nervous.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve had stitches take almost three weeks to dissolve after my wisdom teeth came out. My ortho just told me to keep things clean and not stress unless there was pain or swelling. Step by step, I just checked for redness or weird taste, and if nothing changed, I figured it was fine. Sometimes the dissolvable stuff just takes its sweet time... doesn’t always mean something’s wrong.
