153.39  Dental assistants — registration requirements, renewal, revocation, or suspension — exceptions.
  1.  A person shall not practice on or after July 1, 2001, as a registered dental assistant unless the person has registered with the board and received a certificate of registration pursuant to this chapter.
  2.  Education requirements shall be determined by the board by rule, according to standards to be determined by the board. A person shall be registered upon the successful completion of either of the education and examination requirements established in paragraph “a” or “b”:
  a.  Successful completion of a course of study and examination approved by the board and sponsored by a board-approved postsecondary school.
  b.  Successful completion of on-the-job training and examination consisting of all of the following:
  (1)  Completion of on-the-job training as specified in rule.
  (2)  Successful completion of an examination process approved by the board. A written examination may be waived by the board pursuant to section 17A.9A, in practice situations where the written examination is deemed to be unnecessary or detrimental to the dentist’s practice.
  3.  The education requirements in subsection 2, paragraphs “a” and “b” may include possession of a valid certificate in a nationally recognized course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Successful passage of an examination administered by the board under subsection 2, paragraph “a” or “b”, which shall include sections regarding infection control, hazardous materials, and jurisprudence, shall also be required.
  4.  The board shall establish continuing education requirements as a condition of renewing registration as a registered dental assistant, as well as standards for the suspension or revocation of registration.
  5.  A person may practice as a dental assistant without receiving a certificate of registration as described in this section if the person successfully completes a term of practical training under the supervision of a dentist. The board shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A for the implementation of this subsection.
2000 Acts, ch 1002, §6; 2002 Acts, ch 1108, §23; 2005 Acts, ch 28, §1, 2; 2007 Acts, ch 22, §39; 2009 Acts, ch 133, §201; 2025 Acts, ch 41, §5, 6
Referred to in §153.14
Subsection 1 amended
Subsection 5 stricken and rewritten