Hunter
04/24/25
A bill still alive in the Iowa legislature would let dental assistants work without registering with the state.
KCRG reports the bill would create a different tier of dental assistants to address a shortage in the state. A dental assistant has a lot of jobs to do around the office; they work directly with the dentist making sure they have the proper tools; they take x-rays of your mouth and help sanitize the area.
Training includes education on blood-borne pathogens, the transmission of disease, and the importance of sterilization and disinfection.
Kelsey Fisk is president of the Iowa Dental Association. She said they don’t want the change but compromised to make sure they had a voice with politicians and lobbyists.
Fisk added that newly unregistered students would be used as a last option.
The bill passed the House and is headed to the Iowa Senate.