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Summary of Question:	Teeth: Filing And Braces Ok?
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Thursday, 4/20/2006 9:44 AM MDT

Hi there, I just wanted to ask is having your teeth filed as acceptable as having braces in Sikhism. Many peope can still eat happily without braces meaning braces are mainly used for an more attractive or pleasant smile. In that case would it be wrong for someone with large teeth to have the size reduced. It would be like correcting the size of the teeth as correcting the position of the teeth in terms of braces.

Thank you for being so helpful.

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Sat nam. As one who had braces (long before I adopted Sikhi) I can tell you that they are not just for cosmetic/beautifcation purposes. Too many teeth in a too small mouth can cause many problems later in life, including decay and pain, which can lead to need for root canals, bridges, dentures, etc. In the USA this type of work can break one's bank.
To live and serve as a human, let alone a Sikh, one needs their teeth. While a little crookedness might not be a big deal, serious overbite, underbite, and /or crowding cause far bigger problems/expenses later in life. This decision has to be up to the person involved, but there are definite medical arguments for going through braces.
Teeth filing -- same argument as above, where medical (not cosmetic) arguments apply. Guru ang sang,
-DKK