Dentist Licensure Requirements in Iowa

The ADA lists successful passage of a board-approved clinical examination within the previous five-year period: the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) exam as administered by CDCA-WREB-CITA, or CRDTS+SRTA.

It also lists the DLOSCE plus manikin exam, available via rule waiver.

Since January 1, 2018, the 2014 California portfolio examination is also approved, but only for an applicant who is a student at, or graduated within one year from, the University of Iowa College of Dentistry.

An application for licensure by examination must include documentation of graduation with a DDS or DMD from a board-approved accredited dental college, certification of good standing from the dean, evidence of passing the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, and evidence of passing a board-approved clinical examination within the previous five years.

The rule lists the accepted clinical exams in two groups: patient-based (CRDTS, WREB, SRTA, and ADEX as administered by CDCA and CITA) and manikin-based (CRDTS, and ADEX as administered by CDCA), plus the 2014 California portfolio examination for eligible University of Iowa applicants.

Applicants must also disclose any disciplinary or legal history, pay the application and background-check fees, pass a board-approved jurisprudence examination with a score of at least 75 percent, hold current CPR certification with a hands-on clinical component, and submit a completed fingerprint packet for a DCI/FBI criminal history check.

Under Code of Iowa 153.21, the board may issue a license without examination to an applicant who holds a license from another state, territory or district under equivalent or substantially equivalent requirements, and who has either passed a board-approved regional or national examination or practiced dentistry or dental hygiene lawfully in that jurisdiction for the three consecutive years immediately before applying.

Iowa Administrative Code 650—11.3 adds documentation requirements: evidence of the National Dental Examinations (waivable after five years of practice), a current valid out-of-state license, no pending or final disciplinary action, the application and background-check fees, CPR certification, a passing jurisprudence exam score, and a fingerprint packet.

A dentist who cannot satisfy the licensure-by-credentials requirements may instead apply for licensure by verification under rule 650—11.14, which requires a license in a jurisdiction with a substantially similar scope of practice, a verification form sent directly from that jurisdiction's licensing authority, and the jurisprudence exam; a temporary license valid for three months (renewable once) is available while the jurisprudence exam is pending.

All advertisements and public representations must include the practitioner's name and address or phone number.

A dentist may advertise as a specialist only if the specialty is board-approved and the dentist meets one of two credentialing standards: a diplomate of, or board-eligible for, a national certifying board of an ADA-recognized specialty, or — for a board recognized by the American Board of Dental Specialties (ABDS) — a diplomate of that board (board-eligibility does not qualify for an ABDS-recognized board).

Board-approved ADA specialties are dental public health, endodontics, oral and maxillofacial pathology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orofacial pain, orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, prosthodontics, and oral and maxillofacial radiology; board-approved ABDS specialties are oral implantology/implant dentistry, oral medicine, orofacial pain, and anesthesiology.

Terms such as "specialist" or "orthodontist" may only be used by a dentist who meets those requirements.

The terms "diplomate" and "board-certified" are governed separately: they may only be used by a dentist who has completed the qualifying examination of the applicable certifying board.

Each dentist must complete a minimum of 30 hours of board-approved continuing education during the biennium renewal period, which runs from September 1 to August 31.

Required courses include mandatory reporter training for child and dependent adult abuse, CPR (credited up to 3 hours per biennium), a minimum of 1 hour of infection control, and a minimum of 1 hour of Iowa jurisprudence.

A dentist who prescribed opioids during the biennium must also complete at least 1 hour of continuing education on opioid prescribing, or attest that no opioids were prescribed during the period.

No credits carry over from one biennium to the next, and attendance records must be kept for four years.