Would My Ghusl Be Valid If I Have Dental Glue Remaining?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

I had a permanent retainer put in my mouth many years ago, consisting of a metal wire fixated to my teeth with some glue to keep my teeth from moving. A few years ago, the wire fell off, leaving just the glue. I never returned to the orthodontist because it happened right at the start of the pandemic, and afterward, it just kept slipping my mind.

I know that my ghusl would be valid when the wire was present due to it being there for a need. However, I did my subsequent ghusls afterward not count as per the Hanafi school since the glue prevented water from reaching my whole mouth, or since it’s difficult to remove, am I still excused?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

I pray you are in good faith and health.

In principle, it is obligatory for water to reach the teeth during an obligatory bath. However, if retainers and braces are sealed and not removable, along with the glue, it will suffice by merely rinsing the mouth, even if water does not come into contact with all the teeth, like in your case. [Tahtawi, Hashiyat al-Tahtawi ‘Ala Maraqi al-Falah]

Related:
Ritual Bath and Retainer

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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.