So, I has a wisdom tooth removed... then stitches... now a huge hole in my gums?

[alwaysforgiven821]

So, a week ago tomorrow I had a wisdom tooth surgically removed (he cut it in half and pulled it out). That went just fine, but a few days later I noticed something coming through the back of my gum, something white.I thought it was another tooth, so I was a little afraid. So, I waited until the office opened and as soon as I could I got in and he (the doctor) looked at it and told me it was a piece of bone. Apparently it happens often enough, so he stitched it up> I had also developed dry socket, so he packed that and put a few stitched over the extraction site. Tonight (two days later) I was rinsing and my tongue felt the string from the stitches. I thought it was weird, so I had a look. The links below are pictures to what I found.

http://postimage.org/image/26jpwob38/
http://postimage.org/image/26jt7r02s/
http://postimage.org/image/26juvackk/
http://postimage.org/image/26jwitp2c/
http://postimage.org/image/26jy6d1k4/

I can now see all the way to bone from not only the top of the extraction site, but also the back of my gum adjacent to the site is gone. Practically the whole spot where that tooth was is now open. I am kind of freaking out here. Did I do something wrong? I'm going to call and go into the the dentist tomorrow, but will he even be able to do anything? The gap is at least half an inch. Do this happen because the tooth was too far along? It was fine when I got the stitches... now nothing is even there! Help?

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

My understanding of exposed bone would be that it would be quite painful.  Bone doesn't like to be exposed and would result in alot of pain whenever its exposed to water, air, cold, etc.  I would keep an eye on it and monitor its progress.  Don't touch it anymore and leave it alone.

[alwaysforgiven821]

As far as pain goes, I'm not sure if I am the best to describe it. My doctor said the dry socket should have been extremely painful for me, and yet it wasn't all that bad. Hurt a bit, but I could handle it just fine.

This feels the same as the area has felt all week. It's sore and hurts, but not unbearable so.

Again, though, I am always sure I take my medicine.

[alwaysforgiven821]

http://img407.imageshack.us/i/photo00122222222.jpg/

That is one of the recent pictures with an arrow pointing to what I think is the bone.  

I'm okay with letting it go, and having it just heal, but I just wanted to be sure that it will heal fine. The exposed bone kind of scares me.

[alwaysforgiven821]

It does hurt, though not unbearably so. If I touch it, it won't hurt for a few seconds, then it'll start hurting. Not badly, though. At least not as badly as I would have thought. It is open from one side of the hole to the other. Perhaps somewhere between 1/2 to and inch of it, and it goes along the gum line. It isn't very think, though I am pretty sure it isn't a fragment, because it won't budge if I poke it - though I haven't tried more than that.

I'm still in pain in that area. Not unbearable pain, though I have been taking the prescribed pain meds and some  ibuprofen throughout the day.

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

Does it hurt when you touch it?  It may be a large bony fragment that's floating in the socket.  It should make its way out on its own.  If its exposed bone, I would imagine it would hurt quite alot when you touch it or irritate it in any way.  

[alwaysforgiven821]

Unless collagen is as solid as bone or a tooth, I'm not sure that's it. I've touched it (couldn't resist) and it is hard and goes across the open site. Just looks like a thin piece of bone.
Again, thank's for the quick replies. :)

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

If its not hurting and your dentist doesn't seem too concerned, I'd guess its probably okay.  I got my wisdom teeth out and I still have holes in them slightly.  It takes months to heal fully so give it some time and try to keep the area clean.  Its probably not bone showing through but collagen.

[alwaysforgiven821]

Thanks, Dr. Tsang

It isn't the socket that worries me, it is the hole in the gum to the socket. I went back yesterday and the doctor gave me more stitches, but he didn't stitch the gum, only the extraction site after he packed it (for dry socket). There is bone showing in the hole in the gum. Here are more pictures that may work better:

http://img233.imageshack.us/i/photo0015w.jpg/
http://img607.imageshack.us/i/photo0012b.jpg/
http://img714.imageshack.us/i/photo0007t.jpg/
http://img708.imageshack.us/i/photo0010hf.jpg/
http://img818.imageshack.us/i/photo0004i.jpg/

I know I might just be worrying too much, but that doesn't seem too.... normal. Will it heal fine on its own? The doctor couldn't have missed it, so I suppose he doesn't think it is much of a problem, but for some reason I didn't ask. I had thought he's stitch that hole up, too.

Thanks for your replies.

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

It can take months for the hole to completely close up and heal.  

I had my wisdom taken out in December last year and I still get a little food stuck in my sockets from time to time.  Its been almost 2 months.  You can go back to get it checked out anyways just for your own peace of mind but as long as there's no pain and you can keep the area clean, just let it heal up on its own.

[alwaysforgiven821]

I'll be going in today at 4:30 to have the doctor check it out, but I just like to know as much as I can. I figure it isn't something just to leave...

[alwaysforgiven821]

Not the whole pinky, mind you. Just the tip. Perhaps saying... the head of a cotton swab could fit through with no problem is a better example. The hole goes down... maybe half an inch? This is on the inside of my gum.  

Say the socket is like a bent finger, where you have the two knuckles and the extraction site is the top part, between the two bent knuckles. Well, I lost one of my knuckles and a piece of the finger on that side.

[alwaysforgiven821]

The were suppose to dissolve, but these ones didn't. The hole they were used to close literally more than tripled in size.  Right now I could put my pinky finger into the open socket from the back of my gum, if that helps illustrate.

One person on another question site told me it was perfectly normal, but I don't see how it could be. Am I overreacting?

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

I can't see the pictures too well.  I speculate that the dark spots are either the shadow from the socket or the paste that he probably packed in the socket for dry socket.  The sutures are most likely resorbable sutures so they'll dissolve on their own.  Did he mention that you were to return to remove them?