What is the ruling on using a local anesthetic injection for filling molars? Does it break the fast or not?
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Al-Halabi : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon the master of the messengers, and upon his family and all his companions. As for what follows, a questioner asks: What is the ruling on using a local anesthetic injection in the mouth for a fasting person in order to fill molars? Does this break the fast, especially if we are certain that nothing has entered the mouth or the throat?
The Shaykh : This does not break the fast. However, since the purpose of the injection is to numb the area of the tooth being treated, the practical issue is not the injection itself, but rather what is customary in this procedure among doctors: they use a spray of water from a very fine tube via the equipment of the dentist to clean the area to be filled. The problem in treating a tooth while fasting in Ramadan lies here, not in the injection, because in many cases the patient undergoing treatment cannot prevent water from overwhelming him. In that case, the ruling for this patient is like the ruling for someone who does not know how to swim but attempts to do so while fasting in Ramadan, and he does not feel safe from water overwhelming him due to his poor knowledge of swimming. This is not like the swimmer who knows how to swim and is overwhelmed by water; he does not break his fast. But the other one breaks his fast because he engaged in the cause from which he does not strongly expect to be saved from water overwhelming him. Similarly, the one who treats his tooth or molar should not have it treated during the day in Ramadan, but rather should postpone it to the night.
Al-Halabi : Our Shaykh, does this apply to the case of the swimmer? A listener might hear this statement and say: What about the one who takes a bath and is overwhelmed by some water entering his mouth? Is he included in that case, or is the ruling different?
The Shaykh : He is included with the second one, the skilled swimmer.
Al-Halabi : Because this bath is something everyone can do.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
Al-Halabi : May Allah bless you, Professor.
The questioner : In the same question, there may be modern devices without water, Shaykh, meaning this issue is eliminated.
The Shaykh : You got the answer.
Another questioner : There is a suction device that sucks up the water at the same time.
The Shaykh : The important thing, may Allah bless you, is that the one treating his tooth or molar is at ease regarding water overwhelming him. As for the means, your brother mentioned one means, and you have now mentioned another, which is suction. The key is ensuring that water does not overwhelm him and enter the stomach.
The Shaykh : This does not break the fast. However, since the purpose of the injection is to numb the area of the tooth being treated, the practical issue is not the injection itself, but rather what is customary in this procedure among doctors: they use a spray of water from a very fine tube via the equipment of the dentist to clean the area to be filled. The problem in treating a tooth while fasting in Ramadan lies here, not in the injection, because in many cases the patient undergoing treatment cannot prevent water from overwhelming him. In that case, the ruling for this patient is like the ruling for someone who does not know how to swim but attempts to do so while fasting in Ramadan, and he does not feel safe from water overwhelming him due to his poor knowledge of swimming. This is not like the swimmer who knows how to swim and is overwhelmed by water; he does not break his fast. But the other one breaks his fast because he engaged in the cause from which he does not strongly expect to be saved from water overwhelming him. Similarly, the one who treats his tooth or molar should not have it treated during the day in Ramadan, but rather should postpone it to the night.
Al-Halabi : Our Shaykh, does this apply to the case of the swimmer? A listener might hear this statement and say: What about the one who takes a bath and is overwhelmed by some water entering his mouth? Is he included in that case, or is the ruling different?
The Shaykh : He is included with the second one, the skilled swimmer.
Al-Halabi : Because this bath is something everyone can do.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
Al-Halabi : May Allah bless you, Professor.
The questioner : In the same question, there may be modern devices without water, Shaykh, meaning this issue is eliminated.
The Shaykh : You got the answer.
Another questioner : There is a suction device that sucks up the water at the same time.
The Shaykh : The important thing, may Allah bless you, is that the one treating his tooth or molar is at ease regarding water overwhelming him. As for the means, your brother mentioned one means, and you have now mentioned another, which is suction. The key is ensuring that water does not overwhelm him and enter the stomach.
Source
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The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.