Going To The Dentist While Fasting
Q: Can I get dental work done while fasting?
A: Sheikh Khalil (D. 776 AH) mentions this in his text: “It is disliked to treat dental cavities during the daytime of fasting and nothing is obligatory on a patient (qada or kafara) if he is safe (not letting anything how down his throat).
If he swallows something from it because he could not control any water or medicine going down his throat, he makes up that day, and if he ingests something intentionally, he makes kaffara, unless he accepted the treatment out pf necessity: fearing harm, the onset of disease, sever pain or even death. In the case of the latter treatment is obligatory.
Based on the above, Dental treatment, whether it involves medication, application, extraction, filling cavities, repairing fractures, removing decay, or cleaning, is divided into two rulings according to the Maliki school:
1. If the fasting person can delay the treatment to after maghrib without hardship, then this is the safest and preferred action; because a Muslim should not undertake anything during the daytime of Ramadan that might corrupt his fast, and initiating treatment without necessity is disliked (makruh) according to the Malikis.
2. If it is not possible due to the severity of the disease, extreme pain, the unavailability of a dentist at night, or fear of disease onset or worsening; it is permissible to treat his teeth during the day out of necessity; Ashhab (d. 140 AH) said: “If he fears harm by delaying treatment to the night, then there is no harm;” indeed, it becomes obligatory to treat hos teeth if he fears death or severe harm.
In this case, it will either be:
A) He ensures that he does not swallow any medicine, water, or anything else; then his fast is valid and there is nothing upon him; however, ensuring this is difficult.
B) He confirms that he has swallowed something mentioned, do to duress, error, or forgetfulness; then he must only make up the fast; based on the Prophet's ﷺ statement: “Whoever forgets while fasting and eats or drinks, then let him complete his fast, for it is Allah who has fed him and given him drink.”
C) He confirms that he swallowed something mentioned intentionally after being able to control and dispose of it; the Malikis have differed in it; the apparent and well-known opinion: the obligation of both make-up and expiation upon
D) The patient doubts whether he swallowed something mentioned; then it is recommended for him to make up the fast as a precaution; due to the scholars’ disagreement.
However, in my view, the axiom ‘doubt does not remove certainty’ allows for some leniency in the procedures listed above, as well as Invisalign. Al-Baji al-Maliki (d. 474 AH) said, ‘In my opinion, if he is safe, then nothing is upon him, just like rinsing.’
Allah knows best.
Suhaib