Iowa Dental Assistant Requirements

Registered Dental Assistant Requirements

Note: In order to work as a dental assistant in the state of Iowa, an individual must be 17 years of age or older, be a high school graduate or equivalent, and be registered with the Iowa Dental Board and have received a Certificate of Registration.

To qualify as a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) in Iowa, one must:

1a. Work in a dental office as a dental assistant trainee (see requirements above) until competency is achieved as determined by the supervising dentist, or

1b. Work as a dental assistant in another state, district or territory within five years prior to the date of application, or

1c. Graduate from an accredited dental assisting program approved by the Iowa Dental Board, AND

2. Pass required exams in infection control/hazardous materials and jurisprudence; exams approved for this purpose are those exams or CE courses with posttest exams approved by the IDB, those administered by accredited dental assisting programs, or the DANB ICE exam); the IDB may require applicants with exam scores older than five years to retest, AND

3. Hold a current CPR certification that included a hands-on component

4. Apply to the Iowa Dental Board (IDB) for registration as a dental assistant

A dental assistant may seek registration by verification if the person is currently licensed or registered as a dental assistant in at least one other jurisdiction that has a scope of practice substantially similar to that of Iowa. The applicant must submit a completed application for registration and fee, verification form completed by the licensing authority that issued applicant’s license, proof of successful completion of jurisprudence exam, disciplinary record, criminal record, and documents related to scope of practice in the other state. Applicants who satisfy all requirements except for passing jurisprudence exam may be issued a temporary registration.