Dental Care & Ramadan
Can I still go to the dentist while fasting in Ramadan?
3 November 2026 · The Dentist, Al Qusais, Dubai
The short answer
Yes, you can go to the dentist while fasting. Checkups, cleanings, fillings, extractions and most routine treatment don't involve swallowing anything, so they don't affect your fast. The main things to manage are swallowing water, blood or debris during longer procedures, and most scholars agree that local anaesthetic injections don't break a fast. For longer or more involved treatment, booking closer to iftar simply makes the appointment more comfortable.
What actually breaks a fast at the dentist
The concern most patients have is swallowing something, whether that's water from a rinse, blood from an extraction, or fluoride gel. None of these are deliberate ingestion of food or drink, and the general scholarly consensus (confirmed by bodies like the UAE's own fatwa authorities during Ramadan) is that incidental swallowing of saliva mixed with small amounts of blood or water doesn't invalidate a fast, provided it's not intentional.
Local anaesthetic injections, the kind used for fillings, crowns, extractions and root canals, also don't break the fast. They go into the gum tissue, not the digestive system, and nothing is swallowed. This is the same reasoning accepted for injections used to manage other medical conditions during fasting hours.
Where people do need to be careful is with anything they're asked to actively swallow: fluoride rinses used as a mouthwash, for example, or if a dentist deliberately has you drink water to clear your mouth. We simply avoid asking fasting patients to do this and use suction instead, which keeps the whole appointment fast-friendly.
Which treatments are straightforward, and which need a bit of planning
Checkups, X-rays, cleanings, fillings, crown fittings, extractions and most cosmetic consultations are all fine to do while fasting. Nothing about these procedures requires you to eat, drink or swallow anything on purpose.
Procedures that take longer, like root canal treatment or placing multiple veneers in one sitting, are technically still fine, but fasting can make a two to three hour chair appointment more tiring, especially later in the day when blood sugar and energy are lower. We'd usually suggest booking these either in the morning when you're more rested, or scheduling the appointment close to iftar so you can eat and rehydrate straight after.
Dental implant surgery is a case where timing matters more. The procedure itself doesn't break a fast, but recovery is easier with proper hydration and the ability to take prescribed medication with food if needed. If you're having an implant placed during Ramadan, it's worth discussing with your dentist whether to schedule it for after iftar, so you're not managing swelling or discomfort on an empty stomach for hours afterwards.
Dental emergencies don't wait for Ramadan to end
If you've got a toothache, a swollen face, a broken tooth or an infection, see a dentist regardless of the time of day or how many hours are left in your fast. Pain that disrupts sleep or eating at suhoor and iftar is a sign something needs attention now, not after Eid. Delaying an infected tooth because of fasting rarely makes things easier and can turn a simple filling into a root canal, or a root canal into an extraction.
If you're unsure whether your situation counts as urgent, a quick message describing your symptoms is usually enough for a dentist to tell you how soon you need to be seen.
The Dentist in Al Qusais is open Monday to Friday 11:00 to 21:00 and Saturday 13:00 to 21:00 during Ramadan, which makes it easy to book an appointment either before suhoor hours start or after iftar if you'd rather not sit in the chair mid-fast. New patients get a free first checkup, so if it's been a while since you've had one, this is a good time to get an honest look at what's going on before symptoms force the issue. Book through WhatsApp or online at thedentist.ae/book.
This article is general information, not a diagnosis. If you are in Dubai, the free first checkup at our Al Qusais clinic is the fastest way to get an answer about your own teeth.