Stitches - When is it safe to remove stitches?

When is it safe to remove stitches?

I had 9 extractions done under sedation on monday evening (3 days ago ) and im wondering when it is safe to remove the stitches. i originally thought the stitches would disolve however im now lead to believe they are not. so im wondering how long after the extractions/surgery is it safe to cut and remove the stitches.? No i did not recievea follow up. nor was i told how long they should stay in. the stitches were put in place to hold the gums together where it had been required to be cut.

Public Comments

its when the cut has dried and is hard
No,,you have to have a DR remove them unless he told you otherwise...Give it time but call your Dr. and ask him now. They need alot more time than that no matter if they are dissolve ones probably even longer....
Ask ur dentist.
phone the dentist!!!!!!!!! what are you like?
You're best off asking your dentist rather than a Yahoo roomful of non-dentists.
about 1-2 weeks depending on how well you heal
please dont do it yourself... usually they are supposed to dissolve... u should wait approx. seven days..
Did the doctor not inform you of when you should do this? Are you in Indonesia?
Call your doctor that did the stitches and ask. They could be in there for a reason
I'd have a medical professional do it. Three days also seems too soon.
you go to the doctors 4-5 days
Usually 10-14 days is safe.
your dr should have tell you these
I'd check with your dentist/oral surgeon on that, if they do not dissolve your dentist will probably want to remove them himself...
some dissolve but leave um in 2 weeks too be safe see a doctor first.
Call the doctor that did the extractions. If you pull them too early, stuff won't heal properly and you may get an infection. Usually, dental surgery does use dissolvable sutures. DO NOT take them out yourself. If you leave part of one in, you can have lots of problems.
When the dentist tells u
About 10 days.
I personally wouldn't take them off until I talked to the doctor or whatever that put them on. I mean, you should at least wait 2 weeks before removing them, it doesn't just happen in 3 days. =]
OUCH! are you sure they aren't dissolvable?? You should go back to the dentist and have him remove them, its safer that way..
You should get a follow-up appointment where you will get them taken out profesionally, usually a couple of days after your op. Just don't do it yourself!
Why don't you contact the dental surgery where you had the extractions? Common sense really!
My dad took out his own stitches after he got his appendix removed. Do it after the skin has regrown, but before it completely grows around the stitches. I would say as long as you can pull the skin where the stitches are, without it hurting. If you are nervous you could always let the doc do it, but that will cos a boat load if you dont have good insurance.
Do it yourself dental surgery is frowned upon; even when it only involves removing the stitches. Your dentist or oral surgeon would be who would remove the stitches, although they probably are dissolvable. Call the doctor's office and check. Stitches, even under the best of circumstances, shouldn't be removed in 3 days, and shouldn't be removed at home.
Are you telling us the dentist did not set a followup appointment? Three days is short; one week minimum. Perhaps you should call the dentist's office and ask them.
Your dentist should have scheduled another appointment with you a week or so after extraction to have them removed. I don't recommend doing this on your own. You could wind up cutting your gums or getting an infection. Call your dentist's office and ask when you should have them removed, and schedule an appointment for suture removal. Best of luck to you!
It takes at least a week, if not two, for those stitches to dissolve. Please don't be trying to remove them yourself. They haven't been in long enough.
You should not remove the stitches on your own. If you leave one small piece it could become infected. If they are not dissolvable, they usually are taken out in 7-10 days at a follow up appointment. If they are dissolvable it usually depends on the kind it can take 7-14 days to dissolve. If they are dissolvable, you should not bother them b/c you can mess up the healing process that is taking place. Call your surgeon/dentist to see what kind of stitches were placed.
Leave them alone or go to the dentist
if u do it yourself then u can do real damage my stitches in my mouth and the r supposed to dissolve wait a bit and see if it goes away and if it doesn't then call Ur doctor