And the (unwanted) enlightenment they bring

Wisdom Tooth — this seemingly simple term — recently taught me how wisdom and tooth, both individually and combined, can deliver some of the most important lessons of life.

Yes, I had heard it before: “Wisdom doesn’t come easy.” What I didn’t know was that the same applied—literally—to the wisdom tooth.

For the past month, I’ve endured an excruciating, unrelenting pain in my lower jaw that felt like someone had mistaken my nerves for a guitar string and kept strumming it day and night. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I could barely speak.

Now, for someone like me—who survives on all three—this was nothing short of a crisis.

But ironically, if you look at any spiritual path—silence, fasting, and insomnia are all great ways to find enlightenment. Trust me, I wasn’t looking for it. But hey, enlightenment came anyway. Just with a swollen face and a throbbing jaw.

The Real Pain

I’m new to Canada. Still finding my footing. No insurance yet. No access to strong medications without prescriptions. No prior understanding that dental pain in Canada can feel more devastating than a breakup.

There were nights I stared at the ceiling praying for the pain to subside. I tried everything: prescribed meds, painkillers, salt rinses, ice packs, essential oils, prayers, and finally—a humble home remedy with alum and warm water. That last one, surprisingly, worked. The pain eased. But the fear lingered.

The dentist has confirmed: the wisdom tooth has to go. But the surgery is scheduled much later. Until then, I go about my life… smiling on the outside, clenching my jaw on the inside.

And now that the storm has quietened…

I find myself wondering: What did I learn?

Honestly, I’m not sure.

Maybe that relief sometimes comes from the simplest places. Maybe that pain teaches patience. Or that our body always knows when something’s wrong, even if we’re too busy to listen.

Or maybe the lesson is still arriving—quietly, in the silence that follows chaos.

Either way, if you’re going through something painful right now—physical or emotional—I want to say this: hang in there. Don’t stop trying. Sometimes, healing comes in unexpected ways.

And if you’ve ever tried alum as a remedy—let me know if it worked for you too. We’re all figuring things out, one ache at a time.

Oh, and one last lesson—maybe the most important of all:

🦷 Don’t forget to get dental insurance in Canada. Seriously.

#LessonsOfLife #ToothacheChronicles #WisdomTeethProblems #NewToCanada #PainAndHealing #DentalCareCanada #MindfulnessInPain #UnexpectedHealing #PersonalGrowth #LifeInCanada #ImmigrantLife #HealthMatters #SelfDiscovery #LinkedInBlog #VijeBhatiaWrites

And here are my recommendations on the medications – remdies – something might help !!!

  1. Alum Powder
  2. Cloves
  3. Express pain relief gel
  4. Painkiller