A male dentist seeks to understand the Islamic rulings regarding treating female patients and performing cosmetic dental procedures.
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sistani (may Allah protect him):
A man is permitted to look into a woman's mouth in itself, unless it leads to another prohibition such as forbidden touching. Therefore, there is no difference between necessity and non-necessity, nor between cosmetic and other matters.
Determining whether the situation is necessary or if there is no female doctor with your qualifications is the responsibility of the patient, and you are not required to ask her. It suffices that you are more gentle than others for her to be allowed to go to a male doctor. Of course, this is all in the case of dental treatment, as we have previously stated that it is permissible even without necessity.
Source: Office of His Eminence Sayyid Sistani in Lebanon + Official website
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Khamenei (may Allah protect him):
It is strongly recommended to avoid a man looking into a foreign woman's mouth except in cases where it is customary to reveal it, and only in cases of medical necessity is it permissible to do so to the extent of necessity while avoiding any intention of suspicion. If paying a higher fee would cause harm, hardship, or difficulty that is usually unbearable, such as if the patient is poor and unable to pay for a female doctor, then in this case, the looking and touching must be limited to the extent of necessity. However, merely having a higher fee for the female doctor, while the patient can afford it even through borrowing that does not cause hardship, does not permit this on the stronger precaution.
Cosmetic procedures like teeth whitening are not considered treatments for diseases, so forbidden looking and touching are not permissible in these cases.
Yes, since the prohibition on looking into a foreign woman's mouth is based on precaution, one may refer to another authority in this fatwa while considering the most knowledgeable as a stronger precaution.
Determining whether the situation is necessary or if there is no female doctor with your qualifications is the responsibility of the patient, and you are not required to ask her.
Source: Special Inquiry: 1 + 2 + Fiqh of the Guardian - Rulings on Looking (2/2) - In Cases of Necessity + Official website: 1, 2 + Fiqh of the Guardian: Looking and Related Matters
May you be successful in all good.