Evaluation of 4 Different Suture Threads in A Sample of Dentistry Suture-Naïve Students: A Randomised Controlled...

Suturing is a crucial step in oral surgery, directly affecting wound healing quality. Simple interrupted suture is widely used in dentistry, often performed by novices using silk sutures due to their ease of use and low cost. However, several alternatives could also be suitable for less experienced practitioners.

Dental students attending the University of L'Aquila with no prior suturing experience were assigned to use each of the four suture materials on pig hemi-mandibles in a random order. Silk, Polyamide, Polyglycolic acid and Polytetrafluoroethylene were tested. Subjective feedback was collected through Likert-scale questionnaires assessing handling, knot security and ease of removal from 101 subjects (study A). Objective performance was evaluated using a structured OSCE-based assessment, focusing on key suturing phases such as needle handling, suture passage, knot formation and flap approximation in a population of 60 students randomly selected among the considered subjects (study B).

Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in specific aspects as tissue passage resistance, suture manoeuvrability, first knot execution and flap approximation, favouring some materials over silk. Although many other parameters did not reach statistical significance, the data consistently showed that silk did not outperform the alternative materials in any domain, suggesting that its common use is not supported by superior handling or performance.

Silk does not provide superior handling compared to the other tested materials. Universities' training programmes should incorporate alternative suture materials to improve students' technical skills and the overall quality of suturing.