Is It Permissible to Place Dental Crowns and Does It Affect Wudu or Ghusl?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti

Question

Is it permissible to place dental crowns (caps) on teeth? And does this affect the validity of ablution (wudu) and the ritual bath (ghusl)?

Answer

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Blessings and peace be upon the Master of the Messengers, his Family, and all his Companions.

Dental Crowns (Caps)

As for the first part of the question regarding the permissibility of placing dental crowns:

If these crowns are for treatment or to remove a defect or harm in the teeth, then there is no legal objection to it.

However, if they are for beautification purposes or to change the natural form of the teeth, this is not permissible—especially if it involves filing or altering the original teeth to place the crown over them. Such actions are not allowed, based on the hadith of Abdullah Ibn Mas‘ud (Allah be pleased with him), who said:

“Allah has cursed the women who practice tattooing and those who seek to be tattooed, those who pluck their eyebrows, and those who file their teeth for beauty, changing the creation of Allah.” He added, “Why should I not curse those whom the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) has cursed? It is in the Book of Allah: ‘Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it.’” [Quran, 59:7] [Bukhari; Muslim]

Imam Nawawi says: “As for women who file their teeth, the intent is to alter the appearance of the teeth, and this was done by elderly women or those nearing old age to appear more youthful. This act is prohibited for both the one performing it and the one upon whom it is performed due to these hadiths, as it changes the creation of Allah (Most High), is a form of deception, and is a kind of fraud.

The phrase ‘for beauty’ indicates that the prohibition applies when it is done solely for beautification purposes. However, if it is needed for treatment or to correct a defect in the teeth or otherwise, then there is no harm, and Allah knows best.” [Nawawi, Sharh Muslim]

Validity of Wudu and Ghusl

As for the second part of the question, regarding the effect of dental crowns on the validity of ablution and ghusl:

These crowns do not affect the validity of ablution or ghusl because the teeth are considered part of the internal body (jawf) and not part of the external face that must be washed during purification from minor or major ritual impurities. Rinsing the mouth (madmada) is a recommended (sunna) act of wudu and ghusl.

The presence of a crown on the teeth also does not invalidate them. This is the view of the majority of scholars, including the Shafi‘is.

In “Bidayat al-Muhtaj,” it is stated in the discussion on the obligatory acts of ghusl: “Rinsing the mouth and nose is not obligatory in ghusl, just as it is not obligatory in wudu.” [Ibn Qadi Shuhba, Bidayat al-Muhtaj]

Furthermore, “al-Mawsu‘a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaytiyya” states:

“The Malikis, Shafi‘is, and one narration from Ahmad hold that rinsing the mouth is a sunna in wudu and ghusl, based on the verse: ‘O believers! When you rise up for prayer, wash your faces.’ [Quran, 5:6]. The face, according to the Arabs, is what is encountered during a face-to-face meeting, and the inside of the mouth is not considered part of the face.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) mentioned among the ten acts of fitra (natural disposition) the practice of rinsing the mouth and nose. The Hanafis and another narration from Ahmad hold that rinsing the mouth is obligatory in ghusl and sunna in wudu.”

Summary

Based on the above, I conclude that it is permissible to place dental crowns if it is for treatment or to remove a defect or harm, and this does not affect the validity of wudu or ghusl. And Allah knows best.

And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti

Shaykh Abdul Sami‘ al-Yaqti is a Syrian scholar born in Aleppo in 1977. He obtained his degree in Shari‘a from the Shari‘a Faculty of Damascus University, a Diploma in Educational Qualification from the Faculty of Education at Aleppo University, and a Diploma in Shari‘a and a Master’s in Shari‘a from the Faculty of Sharia, and Law at Omdurman University in Sudan. He is currently writing his doctoral thesis.

He studied under esteemed scholars such as Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri, Shaykh Mustafa al-Turkmani, and Shaykh Dr. Nur al-Din Itr, among others. Shaykh al-Yakti has worked in teaching and cultural guidance in orphanages and high schools in Aleppo. He served as an Imam, Khatib, and reciter at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi and as a certified trainer for Khatibs in Abu Dhabi’s Khatib Qualification Program.

He is involved in developing and teaching a youth education program at Seekers Arabic for Islamic Sciences.

Among Shaykh al-Yaqti’s significant works are “Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni: Bayna Ilm al-Kalam Wa Usul al-Fiqh” and the program “The Messenger of Allah Among Us (Allah bless him and give him peace).”