Is My Work as an Orthodontist Lawful?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

I am a Muslim orthodontist. Is it permissible to treat adult patients with no functional impairment who seek treatment solely to improve smile aesthetics? What degree of aesthetic concern constitutes a legitimate need (hajah), and how do I distinguish permissible aesthetic treatment from impermissible beautification in practice?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful.

All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all beings, and may peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad.

I pray you are well.

The general rules of the prohibition of purely cosmetic changes apply in your profession. If there is a need to alter a person’s teeth due to damage or extreme disfigurement that causes distress, a case could be made.

However, someone wanting a glow-in-the-dark Hollywood smile without any pre-existing issues should be turned away. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) told us that Allah has cursed “al-Mutafallijat.” [Bukhari; Muslim] This refers to women who filed their teeth for beautification and deliberately created gaps, especially between the front two teeth, which Arabs of that era considered attractive.

Your role is to determine whether a matter is purely cosmetic or whether there is a real need in a particular situation. You are the professional and can assess whether it is required. If you’re unsure, tell them to consult with another dentist. Otherwise, you may be assisting in sin, and this in and of itself is a sin. [Maydani, al-Lubab]

Please consult our other answers on cosmetic body alterations.

May Allah give you ease and well-being and the ability to recognize what is pleasing and displeasing to Him.

And Allah knows best.

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Related Answers

• Is It Permissible to Get Dental Work Done For Beautification? Braces, bridges, and veneers for aesthetic improvement are permitted and do not constitute impermissible alteration of creation.
• Are Cosmetic Orthodontic Treatments Permissible Without Medical Necessity? Advanced orthodontics for purely aesthetic purposes is impermissible; treatment for genuine abnormality or functional impairment is permitted.
• Is Teeth Filing With Braces Treatment Impermissible?  Examines three scholarly interpretations of the teeth-filing hadith and concludes that braces and incidental filing are permitted for medical reasons or to correct abnormality.
• Is It Permitted to Use Braces?  Braces are permitted to address defects or crooked teeth; they are avoided when the sole motive is aesthetic preference.
• Is Cosmetic Surgery Permissible?  Permissible in cases of congenital defect, injury, or documented psychological distress where the procedure is the only effective remedy.
• Is Becoming a Plastic Surgeon Permissible? A mixed practice including legitimate restorative work is permissible; the practitioner should decline and refer cases that cannot be lawfully undertaken.

 

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began studying Arabic Grammar and Morphology whilst studying for a degree in English and History. After graduating, He traveled to Damascus and studied Arabic, Hanafi Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Theology, and Logic with Shaykh Adnan Darwish, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahman Arjan al-Binsawi, Shaykh Husayn Darwish, Shaykh Muhammad Darwish, the late Shaykh Rashad Shams, and others. He then moved to Amman to continue his studies in those fields, as well as in Tafsir, Quranic Sciences, Hadith Methodology and Commentary, Prophetic Biography, Prophetic Perfections and Traits, Rhetoric, Arabic Literature, and Tajwid. His teachers include Shaykh Ali Hani, Dr. Hamza al-Bakri, Dr Salah Abu al-Hajj, Dr Mansur Abu Zina, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, Shaykh Ahmad Jammal, and others.