A matter of time and precision

Table clinic compares traditional sutures with novel alternatives, wins AAE award in the process

Sutures have long been the go-to method for closing flaps in endodontic surgeries. In recent years, adhesive enhancements and alternatives that boast of increased convenience, faster healing times and better tissue margin approximation have entered the scene.

Two endodontic residents, Dr. Elizabeth Chybowski and Dr. Cole Barnett, wanted to study for themselves how some of these new products stacked up, so they compared traditional suturing with cyanoacrylate adhesive (PeriAcry®90) and Quill Knotless sutures. They shared the results with peers at the American Association of Endodontists Annual Session in early April, clenching fourth place in the Table Clinic presentations and the $1,000 AAE/Dentsply Student Award that comes with it.

Here’s an at-a-glance look at what they confirmed regarding each method:

• Sutures – Effective, with a history of success, but time consuming and causes wounding.
• PeriAcry90 adhesive – No puncture wounds, reduced working time. Can be applied sparingly over sutures.
• Quill Knotless suture – No knot tying, reduced working time.