Vicryl® and Its Unique Advantages in Dentistry
Materials are just as important as techniques and clinical experience when performing dental procedures. Clinicians seeking the most reliable products have a broad range of solutions available to them. Vicryl® is a popular PGA suture that offers good performance. Clinicians also have other options available to them with comparable performance, including Unify® PGA Sutures.
Learn about the advantages of PGA sutures like Vicryl®, their technical properties, and explore reliable and more affordable Vicryl® alternatives at Dental Implant Technologies.
What is Vicryl® Made From?
Vicryl® is a trademark of Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson. The term is also used generically in the healthcare industry to refer to sutures that are made from PGA material.
PGA (also polyglycolide or polyglycolic acid) is a versatile synthetic material. Its properties make it one of the best synthetics to use for implantation as sutures.
- PGA is biodegradable. It can be safely broken down by the body without negative side effects.
- PGA is a type of thermoplastic polymer. Unlike most thermoplastics, it is a simple linear aliphatic polyester, which ensures a predictable breakdown of the material.
- PGA is highly sensitive to hydrolysis. This is a type of reaction where water breaks down chemical bonds.
It’s the hydrolysis that makes PGA so useful for dentistry. Vicryl® sutures and other products made from PGA only need water molecules to biodegrade. Water is abundant in the human body, especially in the oral cavity. This ensures that sutures are broken down over time, but with enough initial tensile strength to support the healing process.
Different Types of Vicryl® Surgical Sutures
Although the terms Vicryl® and PGA are sometimes used interchangeably, Vicryl® is actually a specific product name in the dental industry. At Dental Implant Technologies, we supply PGA resorbable sutures produced by AD Surgical.
Unify® Sutures are comparable in performance and quality to Vicryl® sutures while offering cost-efficiency to help streamline any dental clinic. Unify® PGA Sutures are reliable with a predictable resorption profile, thanks to the chemical properties of PGA.
We supply PGA sutures in a range of sizes, including:
All of our sutures are available in varying lengths to suit different types of procedures and wound closure. Please browse all of our Unify® PGA Sutures, the best alternatives to Vicryl® sutures.
Excellent Tensile Strength of Unify® PGA Sutures
When choosing alternatives to Vicryl® sutures, it’s important to confirm that the tensile strength and resorption profile are comparable.
Unify® PGA Sutures are braided. The surface of the suture allows excellent adhesion to tissue once pulled through. This eliminates problems with slippage or excessive trauma and ensures that wound closures are taut and secure.
Unify® PGA Sutures are available with reverse cutting or circle taper point needles, allowing excellent handling and no change in procedure if transitioning from Vicryl® sutures.
- Strength duration is impressive. Unify® products have high tensile strength with initial strength that is comparable to that of a nylon suture. This ensures the most reliable wound closure without having to worry about deterioration of the closure within the first month. The average strength-duration of a Unify® PGA Suture is 21 – 28 days.
- The suture will break down through hydrolysis within 55-70 days. This eliminates the need for a follow-up procedure to remove the sutures. This is beneficial for the clinician, helping to reduce the total workload. It’s more convenient for patients as they won’t have to visit the clinic for removal. Normal follow-up consultations to track the progress of healing and the success of a procedure are still required.
Unify® Sutures bring other benefits that clinicians will appreciate. PGA has a lower tissue reaction profile without any risk of toxicity. The sterile sutures are ready for chairside use. PGA sutures can be used instead of chromic gut and nylon sutures. Sutures are packaged with an ultra-sharp needle point that allows for atraumatic suturing. The needle is coated with silicon (safe and biocompatible) which allows for smooth passage through soft tissue.
Unify® PGA Sutures are a safe alternative to Vicryl® sutures, offering the same chemical makeup at a competitive price. Press-fit needle ends offer maximum strength between the thread and the needle, eliminating chairside failures while performing wound closure.
Are Vicryl Sutures and alternatives like Unify® PGA Better than Non-Resorbable Sutures?
While some clinicians may debate the use of resorbable vs non-resorbable sutures, the simple fact is that Vicryl sutures and equivalents like Unify® PGA sutures are often the better choices for a range of dental procedures. Resorbable sutures can offer excellent tensile strength for the duration of the tissue healing period, ensuring that a treatment site and wound covering remain closed.
Trauma is always something to consider when performing dental surgeries. There’s usually some amount of trauma involved, but it should always be limited to ensure the comfort of the patient and to reduce the amount of healing time that is necessary. This also applies to any necessary follow-up procedures.
Removing sutures is typically minimally traumatic, but the fact is that removing non-resorbable sutures could introduce unnecessary trauma around an already healed treatment site. The use of Vicryl sutures or equivalent alternatives removes the need for unnecessary trauma by ensuring that the suture is resorbed and metabolized by the body naturally. It results in a better experience for the patient, with slightly reduced cost, and less complexity for the clinician.
(Whether represented as “Vicryl® sutures” or simply “Vicryl sutures”, this brand name remains a registered trademark of Ethicon Inc.)
How Biocompatible are Vicryl Sutures and Equivalents?
Polyglycolic Acid, or PGA, is an FDA approved synthetic material for general and plastic surgery. The material is highly biocompatible and actually outperforms other suture types. It is a linear aliphatic polyester that produces less tissue inflammation than silk, plain, or chromic catgut. Its survival time is 16 to 20 days in the oral mucosa.
Because it triggers only minimal inflammation, it helps to support tissue healing. It is broken down through a process of hydrolysis, without any external influence. The patient’s body naturally metabolizes the material. Sutures like Vicryl sutures and Unify® PGA sutures can be used in any case where the clinician demands a reliable resorbable suture that provides good tensile strength for the initial two weeks of healing.
Vicryl sutures also come with the advantage of being pliable and easy to work with. These benefits are carried over to alternative products with equivalent performance, including Unify® PGA sutures.
There should be no observable problematic inflammation from Vicryl sutures and alternatives during the healing stage, outside of the expected inflammation caused by the treatment the patient has received.
Choose Unify® PGA Sutures – The Ideal Alternative to Vicryl®
Unify® products are made from the same PGA material as Vicryl® sutures, offering comparable safety and resorption performance. All Unify® products exceed the requirements set by FDA regulations and the United States Pharmacopoeia. For the most reliable performance with a predictable resorption profile and high tensile strength, insist on Unify®.
Dental Implant Technologies provides a complete range of Unify® products available to order now from our secure online store. We are authorized Unify® suppliers in the United States.