Is Teeth Whitening Permissible?

Question:

Is Teeth Whitening Permissible?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. 

Answer:

It is permissible to undergo a teeth whitening procedure to treat stained teeth.  However, since it is a medical issue, you should consult doctors and dentists on the suitability and potential harms before proceeding.  In addition, one should consult the dental practice on the ingredients used in the applied treatments.  Furthermore, one should have an intention of genuinely cleaning stained teeth with such procedures[1].

The Fiqh (jurisprudence of the Answer):

Whitening of stained and discoloured teeth is not regarded to be changing Allah’s creation and nor is whitening of stained teeth a form of impermissible beautification.  Rather, it is a procedure to remove discolouring as a result of stains.  In addition, teeth whitening removes defects from the teeth.  The removing of physical defects is permissible[2].

And Allah Ta’ālā Alone Knows Best

Mufti Faraz Adam 
www.darulfiqh.com

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