I had a coronectomy and the wound is not healing?

[SlickRangerRick]

So, I went to a new dentist when I finally got insurance again after a long gap in coverage. I asked her if I should have my wisdom teeth removed. They've never caused any pain but it is hard to clean behind them. Food gets stuck and it's very gross. She said sure, she would refer me to an oral surgeon. Somehow the question of anesthesia came up and I told her, due to a fear of general anesthesia, I would prefer local. She then offered to do the extractions herself since I would not need to be put under. We agreed to try the bottom left tooth first and, if I was OK with how it went, then do the two on the right (the upper left never came through my gums). On the day, she took another look at the x-ray and didn't like something so she took another. Turns out, the tooth was very close to a major nerve. She said she would not extract it but she could perform a coronectomy. I was in the chair ready to go so, even though I had no idea what it was, I foolishly said sure. Turns out it involves ripping the top half of the tooth off and leaving the roots. I really wish I had not done it. It is now ~14 weeks later and the wound has not healed. There is still an opening and I can still see the top of the roots. I thought food getting stuck was an issue before? Now, it's constant. I've been irrigating it with warm salt water as soon as I can after I eat, using an oral syringe. I've been doing my absolute best to keep my mouth clean. I'm worried that it is never going to heal and I am permanently disfigured. I know I should call her but I am worried. I'm a very anxious person so I've been putting it off. I figured I would post to some forums first, hoping maybe this is a known issue and not a cause for concern. Likely everyone will tell me I need to make an appointment and then I will have no excuse not to. So, besides telling me that, can anyone give me any information? Is this normal? Am I screwed for life, stuck with a hole in my mouth? Is it possible I have an infection in my bone I will die from no matter what? I have no symptoms of infection but I am a hypochondriac so I keep thinking I have already passed a point of no return and I am going to lose half of my jaw or something. Please let me know if you have any questions and thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[Enarete]

Dear SlickRangerRick,

sorry to read about your situation. I am not a dentist and do not know what is wrong with the tooth (you might consider posting in the Ask a Dentist section and maybe include a picture of the tooth if you feel comfortable to).
I believe the procedure you went through is nothing too exotic, it is one of the possibilities to get rid of the tooth without dealing with the possible nerve damage. I wished your dentist would talk more clearly to you and explain to you what she would like to do. It sounds like you agreed on it without understanding what will happen and now feel unhappy about it. You are surely not screwed for life, you just seem to need some reassurance and information about the healing and as you suggest, there is just one way to get it for sure. If you are worried to go back to the last dentist, maybe seeing a different dentist would be an option?

All the best wishes and keep us posted