Reaction of oral tissues to suture materials

The comparative responses of oral tissues to nine different suture materials were evaluated histologically in the oral mucosa of dogs. Monofilament steel and nylon sutures produced the least reaction. Plain gut and medium chromic sutures resulted in greater tissue response than nylon and steel but considerably less than the multifilament materials studied. There was little apparent difference among the multifilament materials, except for linen, which was consistently associated with severe reactions. The response of oral tissues to some intraoral sutures is considerably different from that described for other anatomic sites. A possible explanation for this difference may be a wicking action which transmits bacteria and oral fluids into the wound.