Resorbable sutures:

• Are designed to degrade and be absorbed by the body over time, typically through hydrolysis or enzymatic degradation. This process can vary depending on the material and the tissue environment, but generally occurs over the course of weeks to months.
• They’re used for internal suturing or in wounds where removal would be challenging.
• They are a more comfortable choice for patients because they cause minimal tissue reaction, which means less postoperative inflammation.

Non-resorbable sutures:

• Are not absorbed by the body and remain in place indefinitely unless removed.
• They’re commonly used for skin closure or in areas where long-term wound support is required.
• They aren’t degraded by the body, so they retain a great amount of tensile strength for a long period of time.

Resorbable suture material can be natural or synthetic.

• Natural resorbable suture materials are monofilaments of highly purified collagen. They have good tensile strength and cause less inflammation but are more difficult to handle compared to synthetic materials. Natural resorbable materials can be made from catgut or chromic catgut.
• Plain catgut mucosa is highly purified collagen derived from the serosal surface of bovine intestine. It is typically used for fast healing mucosa, like the oral mucosa. Plain catgut resorbable sutures lose half of their tensile strength within 24 hours in the intraoral environment and are completely absorbed within 3 to 5 days. 
• Chromic gut is plain catgut processed with chromium salt solution and has slightly longer tissue support time but is still used in fast healing mucosa. It can retain tensile strength for 5 days, and last between 7 to 10 days. 

While surgical gut sutures are the most common materials used for dental suturing, patients that, for example, experience GERD (gurd), Sjögren’s syndrome (show-grinz), or take antipsychotic drugs, may have a lower intraoral pH. Therefore, natural resorbable sutures are contraindicated for these patients.

Synthetic resorbable suture materials are multifilaments and last longer than natural resorbable suture material.

• Polyglycolic Acid, or PGA, is a braided multifilament and is the most common choice for synthetic resorbable sutures. The braided structure makes it easier to handle compared to surgical gut sutures, and helps maintain its knot integrity and tensile strength. PGA can maintain its tensile strength for about 3 weeks and is degraded through hydrolysis after 21 to 28 days in the oral mucosa. 
• Polylactic acid (PLA) offers similar benefits but has a slower resorption rate. 

These materials are commonly used in subcutaneous sutures and mucosa providing reliable support while minimizing tissue reaction.

Just like resorbable suture materials, nonresorbable suture materials also come in natural and synthetic versions. Silk and cotton are commonly used natural materials. Nylon, polypropylene, ethibond, and polytetrafluoroethylene are non-resorbable suture materials. 

• Silk is a braided filament and is derived from silk worms.
  • In the oral cavity, 3-0 black silk is often used because its size offers sufficient strength, the black ensures visibility, and the braiding makes it easy to tie and allows it to withstand the force of the patient’s tongue.
  • While silk sutures are easy to handle and have good knot security, they have a high potential to cause infection because of their tendency to wick fluids. They are typically removed after one week to minimize infection. 
• Cotton is also braided and easy to handle but has less strength compared to silk and also can cause severe inflammation. 
• Nylon comes in many forms and can be braided or unbraided, and is available as either a mono or multifilament. Nylon has many of the same positive qualities as silk, such as easy handling and strong knot security, but does not cause inflammatory reactions. 
• Polypropylene is a noninflammatory monofilament and has great tensile strength, but is more difficult to handle compared to other non resorbable suture materials. 
• Polytetrafluoroethylene is also very biocompatible and has minimal tissue reactivity. It is easy to handle and also strong and durable.