Over the past decade regenerative branches of dentistry have taken on more and more importance, resulting in the development of performing scaffold materials. These should induce cell adhesion, support, and guide the tissues’ growth. Among the developed materials, we can include resorbable or non-membranes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the proliferation abilities and the attachment of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPLIFs) over two bovine pericardium membranes with different thicknesses, 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm, respectively. These membranes have been decellularized by the manufacturer, preserving the three-dimensional collagen’s structure. The HPLFs were cultured in standard conditions and exposed to the tested materials. XTT was performed to assess cell proliferation, while light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations assessed fibroblast morphology at different times (T1, T2, and T3). Proliferation assays have shown a statistically significant difference in growth at T1 (p < 0.05) in the cells cultured with a thicker membrane compared to the thinner one. LM analysis showed healthy fibroblasts in contact with the membranes, appearing larger and with a polygonal shape. SEM observation demonstrated thickening of the fibroblasts which continued to adhere to the membrane’s surface, with enlarged polygonal shape and developed filipodia and lamellipodia. These results showed a similar cell behavior over the two bovine pericardium membranes, demonstrating a cellular migration along and within the layers of the membrane, binding with membrane fibers by means of filopodial extensions. Knowledge of the effects of the collagen membranes derived from bovine pericardium on cellular behavior will help clinicians choose the type of scaffolds according to the required clinical situation.

Introduction: Suturing is a crucial step in oral surgery, directly affecting wound healing quality. Simple interrupted suture is widely used in dentistry, often performed by novices using silk sutures due to their ease of use and low cost. However, several alternatives could also be suitable for less experienced practitioners. Methods: Dental students attending the University of L'Aquila with no prior suturing experience were assigned to use each of the four suture materials on pig hemi‐mandibles in a random order. Silk, Polyamide, Polyglycolic acid and Polytetrafluoroethylene were tested. Subjective feedback was collected through Likert‐scale questionnaires assessing handling, knot security and ease of removal from 101 subjects (study A). Objective performance was evaluated using a structured OSCE‐based assessment, focusing on key suturing phases such as needle handling, suture passage, knot formation and flap approximation in a population of 60 students randomly selected among the considered subjects (study B). Results: Statistically significant differences ( p < 0.05) were found in specific aspects as tissue passage resistance, suture manoeuvrability, first knot execution and flap approximation, favouring some materials over silk. Although many other parameters did not reach statistical significance, the data consistently showed that silk did not outperform the alternative materials in any domain, suggesting that its common use is not supported by superior handling or performance. Conclusion: Silk does not provide superior handling compared to the other tested materials. Universities' training programmes should incorporate alternative suture materials to improve students' technical skills and the overall quality of suturing.