When dissolvable stitches begin to fall out, they take on a different appearance than when they were first put in. The absorbable sutures can look looser, shorter, or even like they’re hanging when they’re ready to come out.
Those are all signs of them about to fall out. Another interesting sign is when you notice them start to change colors.
Those appearances are very different from a freshly tied surgical knot that is secure.
We’ll show you what it’s normally supposed to look like and also what they will look like when they’re falling out.
Secure suture knot
The day that dissolvable stitches are first put in would be when they are the most secure and stable. Your body hasn’t had a chance to start dissolving them yet so a freshly put in stitch will look its best on day one.
Signs of a secure suture knot:
- Taut
- Very little space underneath of the knot
- Color looks vibrant
Freshly placed absorbable stitches are typically secured by the way that the knot is tied. Most clinicians will tie three knots in opposing directions in order to secure it.
Video demonstration of what we mean by placing three knots in opposite directions.
Loose dissolvable stitch
Tightly tied suture knots do not have any space underneath of them. If stitches in your mouth start coming loose with a lot of space underneath it, it could be a sign that they’re ready to come out.
Signs of it being loose:
- Space underneath of the knot
- Suture can move around
Shorter looking suture
Your doctor may have initially left the ends of the stitches relatively long. The extra length ensures knot security because if it loosens, it won’t unwind.
However, as your body starts to dissolve and absorb some of the stitches, you may notice the length of the ends shortening. That is a tell-tale sign that absorption is occurring.
Notable features:
- Ends of the stitches becoming shorter
- Ends may be changing colors
Hanging dissolvable suture
When sutures are just about ready to fall off, they often look like they’re hanging. You may even describe them as “hanging by a thread” no pun intended.
Signs of a hanging absorbable stitch:
- Knot looks undone or unwound.
- Ends of the suture looks floppy or loose
If you see this, it’s a good thing because it means that you’re body is actually working to dissolve them. If you give them a couple more days or a week, it should completely fall off on their own.
Changing colors
If your absorbable sutures are colored, meaning that they were dyed, they can potentially change colors as they dissolve.
Their original color would be undyed, clear, or white but they were dyed to be a specific color. As your body dissolves them, the outer colored layer will disintegrate thus revealing the true color underneath.
The image above shows polyester sutures that come in a green and white color. The white colored is the undyed version of it.
Takeaway
There are multiple signs for when dissolvable sutures are ready to fall out. Most notably they can be looser, shorter, hanging, or even changing colors.
If you notice any of the above signs, it means that they’re in the process of falling out on their own. You may simply give them more time to come off or you can even see your dentist and have them removed.