Short Answer

Using toothpaste will not break your fast, but it is better to use flavorless toothpaste.

Detailed Answer

Scholars discussed four issues connected to using toothpaste when fasting: potentially swallowing, whether it is needed, taste, removing bad breath. If toothpaste is swallowed it will technically break your fast because it is a nourishing substance and resembles food. However, it is quite rare for people to swallow toothpaste, especially when they are cautious during fasting, so it is not the default. It is recommended to have good smelling breath, and fasting usually causes bad breath, so removing bad breath by brushing is highly recommended, and it does not need to fall into the category of necessity. It is disliked to taste any food without a good reason when fasting, even though it does not break your fast. However, since tasting food when cooking is allowed (without swallowing), using toothpaste should fall into a similar category of importance, therefore it is not makruh (disliked). However, since there is an alternative, flavorless toothpaste, using flavored toothpaste should be khilaaf al-awlaa (better to avoid, but not makruh). Lastly, the argument that Allah loves the breath of a fasting person so you should not brush your teeth is weak because that hadith is encouragement to not be concerned about your breath when fasting, but only when you are unable to rectify it.

Version 0.5 | [Shaykh] Mustafa Umar | 7-12-2026