If you have the nerve, steady hand & a very sharp pair of very pointy scissors, you can clip & remove the irritating sutures as I did! It's a little weird to pull those stitches out yourself but can be done! I'm just impatient enough to experiment like that. I did screw one up at first because I snipped off the bits that we're exposed & then had nothing to get ahold of to pull the loop through & out! It was a great big one right inside my lower lip & kept catching on my teeth! So there it stayed & continued to irritate me for a long time until it finally did dissolve or just become part of me. I was much more successful with the rest I removed myself. My dentsit was actually impressed! The surgeon wasn't as amused. Oh well! The one way back in your throat might be a little tricky! Happy stitch ripping! Erik