Stitches finally started coming loose today (which they're supposed to; they're meant to dissolve), and once they started, they kept on going -- a total of 7 or 8 lengths of suture came out over the course of the day. It's amazing how much the discomfort diminishes with each new length of suture removed. I'm thinking now that I may postpone Part III until February, rather than late January, to give my upper teeth a chance to "toughen up" a bit, but that'll also depend on the dentist's preferences and schedule.