[Comparison between Polyglactin 910 (Vicryl®) versus irradiated Polyglactin 910 (rapid Vicryl®) for mucosal suture after wisdom teeth avulsion]

Introduction: Two different types of suture are used in our unit after wisdom tooth extraction, Polyglactin 910 [PGS] (Vicryl®, Ethicon) and rapid absorption irradiated Polyglactin 910 [PGI]. No objective comparative study was available so we decided to conduct a preliminary prospective study to check if there was any difference between these two types of suture.

Patients and methods: Forty patients were included in our study, consecutively operated for impacted wisdom teeth by the same surgeons, between April and June 2010. The symmetry of impaction was systematically controlled on panoramic views before including a patient in the study. PGS and PGI were both used for every patient, PGS on one side and PGI on the other. The "right or left" PGS-PGI distribution was randomized and double-blinded. The patient was his own control. Thirty-two patients were examined at the postoperative consultation, during which an evaluation questionnaire was completed with the surgeon. Pain, difficulty to chew, duration of swelling, dysgeusia, and major complications (inflammation, disunion, infection) were analyzed.

Results: The statistical analysis revealed that postoperative pain was greater on the PGS side (VAS=3.7) than on the PGI side (VAS=2.8) without any significant difference. The duration of swelling was significantly higher on the PGS side (5.5days) than on the PGI side (3.1days). Coming back to normal food intake did not seem different; it was not interrupted. PGI also significantly reduced the difficulty to chew and dysgeusia. There was no difference in complications between PGS and PGI.

Discussion: This study proved the superiority of PGI over PGS during the three postoperative weeks after extraction of wisdom teeth, in terms of comfort and edema.