Dentistry as a profession for women?

[Loyal Servant]

AssalamuAlaikum wr wb brothers and sisters
I hope you are all in the good of health and eeman.

I've just finished my high school and I am right now preparing for the entrance exam. I plan to get into a good Medical course, InshAllah.
Last week, I came across this -
‘Abd-Allaah said: “Allaah has cursed the women who do tattoos and those who ask for tattoos to be done, those who ask for their eyebrows to be plucked, and the women ask for their teeth to be filed for the purpose of beautification, changing the creation of Allaah.” A woman from the tribe of Bani Asad whose name was Umm Ya’qoob heard of that and she came and said, “I have heard that you have cursed So and so and So and so.” He said, “Why should I not curse those whom the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed and who are mentioned in the Book of Allaah?’ She said, “I have read what is between the two covers [of the Qur’aan], and I did not find anything in it like what you have said.” He said, “If you have read it, have you not read that Allaah says,

‘And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)’"

After reading this, I don't want to take up B.D.S ( Bachelor of Dental Surgery). As I intend to practice in the future, InshAllah, wouldn't it be haraam for me to take it up as a profession? Also considering the very small work area. What is your take on this ?

JazakAllah Khayran !

 

[JenGiove]

:salam2:

I recently had to have a root canal done and the office that I went to had 3 Muslims, TWO of them being the Doctors themselves. There is a difference between dentistry for beautification and dentistry for health.

Become an Endodontist..

 

[Abu Talib]

Wa`alaykumassalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatu

I don't think its wrong to pursue dental surgery you might take up for the sake of curing dental problems and for deformities likewise also dental implantation I guess your trying to refer is Cosmetic Dentistry. You can choose your specialization like Prosthetic Dentistry or General Dentistry and so.

Also make Istikhara the best guidance before pursuing anything

There is explanation to the Hadith you mentioned below

Praise be to Allaah.

Fitting false teeth to replace teeth that have been taken out because they were unhealthy or damaged is something permissible and there is nothing wrong with doing it, and we do not know of any scholar who disallows it. It makes no difference whether the teeth are fixed in place in the mouth or not. The patient should do what is best for him in consultation with a specialist in that field.

Changing the creation of Allaah means not accepting the creation of Allaah with regard to the length or shape of the teeth or the gaps between them. Hence the one who changes the creation of Allaah in general is cursed, and the one who changes it with regard to his teeth in particular is cursed.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“They (all those who worship others than Allaah) invoke nothing but female deities besides Him (Allaah), and they invoke nothing but Shaytaan (Satan), a persistent rebel!

118. Allaah cursed him. And he [Shaytaan (Satan)] said: ‘I will take an appointed portion of your slaves.

119. ‘Verily, I will mislead them, and surely, I will arouse in them false desires; and certainly, I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and indeed I will order them to change the nature created by Allaah.’ And whoever takes Shaytaan (Satan) as a Wali (protector or helper) instead of Allaah, has surely, suffered a manifest loss”

[al-Nisa’ 4:117-119]

It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “May Allaah curse the one who does tattoos and the one who has a tattoo done, the one who plucks eyebrows and the one who has her eyebrows plucked, and those who file teeth for the purpose of beautification, changing the creation of Allaah.” Narrated by Muslim (2125).

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

The one who does tattoos is the one who uses a needle and the like on the back of the hand, wrist, temple or other place on a woman’s body where blood flows, then fills that place with kohl etc and it turns blue.

“The one who plucks eyebrows” is one who removes hair from the face.

“Those who file teeth” refers to women who file the teeth to create a gap between the front teeth and second incisors. This was done by elderly women and those of similar age to make them look younger and to make the teeth look more beautiful, because it is younger girls who have these nice gaps between their teeth. When a woman grows older her teeth become bigger, so they used to file them to make them look nicer and to make people think they were younger. This action is haraam for the one who does it and the one to whom it is done, because of these ahaadeeth, and because it is changing the creation of Allaah, and because it is cheating and deceiving people.

“Those who file teeth for the purpose of beautification” – this indicates that what is haraam is that which is done for the purpose of beautification. But if it is needed for medical reasons or to correct a fault in the tooth and so on, then there is nothing wrong with it.

Sharh Muslim (14/106, 107).

The words of al-Nawawi point to the difference between treating the teeth in order to remove a fault in them and not being pleased with the creation of Allaah and tinkering with it for the purpose of beautification. The former is permissible and the latter is haraam.

There is evidence in the Sunnah which shows that it is permissible to wear false teeth if the teeth have fallen out due to old age or sickness, and it is permissible for them to be made of gold if nothing else can be used.

It was narrated from ‘Arfajah ibn As’ad that his nose was cut off at the battle of Kilaab during the Jaahiliyyah, and he wore a nose of silver, but it caused a foul stench, so the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told him to wear a nose made of gold.

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1770), Abu Dawood (4232) and al-Nasaa’i (5161). Classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel (824).

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

But in cases of necessity it is permissible to use gold for teeth, noses and the like, if nothing else can be used instead. End quote.

Fataawa Islamiyyah (4/248).

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

We should note that it is not permissible to have a gold tooth except when there is a need for that. It is not permissible for anyone to have a gold tooth put in for the purpose of adornment, except women for whom is it customary to have gold teeth, in which case there is nothing wrong with it. But for men it is not permissible at all except in cases of necessity. End quote.

Liqaa’aat al-Baab il-Maftooh (28/question no. 5).

And Allaah knows best.

 

[sachin4islam]

Assalam Alaikum: Sister in Islam.

The best option for a Muslim sister to pursue a career in medical profession is to opt for Obs/Gyne or Pediatrics. There are lots and lots of Private Dental colleges in India and dentists are passing out with the power of money (not by their skills) in herds. Setting up of a Dental practice is also tough and perplexing and I haven't yet come across a successful female dentist.

I think you must be inspiring for Common Medical Entrance Test-2013.It would be better to score little more marks in entrance exam and lift a seat in a medical college for MBBS.

Post MBBS is more challenging and rewarding career and also more pacifying career.

Regards.

 

[Loyal Servant]

:salam2:

I recently had to have a root canal done and the office that I went to had 3 Muslims, TWO of them being the Doctors themselves. There is a difference between dentistry for beautification and dentistry for health.

Become an Endodontist..

Walaikumsalaam. But I wouldn't be able to deny treatment for any of the patient, be it for beauty or health. Endodontist,I'd consider that
JazakAllah Khayr.

 

[Loyal Servant]

:salam2:

I recently had to have a root canal done and the office that I went to had 3 Muslims, TWO of them being the Doctors themselves. There is a difference between dentistry for beautification and dentistry for health.

Become an Endodontist..

Assalam Alaikum: Sister in Islam.

The best option for a Muslim sister to pursue a career in medical profession is to opt for Obs/Gyne or Pediatrics. There are lots and lots of Private Dental colleges in India and dentists are passing out with the power of money (not by their skills) in herds. Setting up of a Dental practice is also tough and perplexing and I haven't yet come across a successful female dentist.

I think you must be inspiring for Common Medical Entrance Test-2013.It would be better to score little more marks in entrance exam and lift a seat in a medical college for MBBS.

Post MBBS is more challenging and rewarding career and also more pacifying career.

Regards.

JazakAllah Khayr Brother. I haven't written the entrance yet. Im just trying to sort out things before I get my ranks.

 

[Tabassum07]

:salam2:

Not all dentistry is for beautification - people have root canals done etc to fix problems. I have a crown on my tooth to fix a problem - if I didn't have it, eventually they'd have to extract the tooth. Do you think this is for beautification? No.

Go for it, that's what I say - dentists aren't from a haraam profession. Though I wonder about treating male patients, since its such a close proximity - however, treating patients is a sadaqah.

 

[10Sara-Khan10]

Assalamualikum
i want to ask that as women and non mahram men are not allowed alone but i want to become a dentist as i am i female can i cure a male patient alone ?

 

[saif]

Assalamu alaikum

Usually the jurists differentiate between private places and public places. Mosques, lecture halls, hospitals and clinics are usually considered as public places. As far as I know, that ruling which you have mentioned applies to private places only.

Even if for a moment we consider it a problem and let us suppose muslim women decide not to go into this profession, will that solve the problem or create a bigger problem? What about muslim female patients?

Wassalamu alaikum

 

[sister herb]

Assalamualikum
i want to ask that as women and non mahram men are not allowed alone but i want to become a dentist as i am i female can i cure a male patient alone ?

Salam alaykum

As I have been at the dentist patient, the doc is not alone with the patient. There is also a nurse to help. I have also worked as the practical nurse for the demented patients. Part of that work is to wash the private parts of the male patients.

I have took it as the part of my work. Someone needs to help them and as they are demented, they understanding of who I am is quite low. I only hope that Allah forgives me if that is totally haram.

 

[Precious Star]

Personally I would want a female dentist.

The only way this will be accomplished is if moe women go to dental school.

 

[ridwan7]

I'm not qualified to speak on it religiously but if it is permissible, then I think it's a great career because the hours are flexible and the pay is good. In addition, women would probably prefer women dentists, so I could imagine certain settings/practices where it would be permissible.