Prayer TimesGood health depends on healthy teeth. Teeth affect not only a person’s health, but also their appearance, mood, and even character. Teeth are important because they allow us to bite, chew, and process food. Missing teeth can affect speech and facial aesthetics.
Modern medicine now offers treatments for diseased teeth, fillings for cavities, and even artificial teeth to help people maintain a full set of 32 teeth. One such method is implantation. Unlike removable dentures, implants are not taken out. Dental implantation is a relatively simple and minimally painful surgical procedure in which an artificial tooth root is placed into the jawbone to replace the function of a natural tooth root. A durable artificial tooth (crown) is then attached to it. Implants help restore oral health and a confident smile for many years.
Islam encourages all means that protect human health and remove harm. Therefore, sharia permits the replacement of a lost tooth with an artificial one, as this removes a defect or harm from a person.
Even before Islam, during the incident of Kulab, the companion Arfajah ibn As'ad (may Allah be pleased with him) had his nose injured and replaced it with a silver nose. When it began to smell, the Prophet (ﷺ) instructed him to use a gold nose instead (Tirmidhi). Although men are generally not allowed to use gold, sharia permits it in cases of necessity, as proven by this hadith.
Additionally, if a deceased person has a removable artificial tooth, it should be taken out before burial. If the artificial tooth is fixed, it should be left in place, as removing it would cause harm to the deceased.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Breaking the bone of a dead person is like breaking the bone of a living person.” (Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah).
Hasan AMANKUL,
"Munara" newspaper, No. 5, 2020
This content was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by an editor.