Iowa dentist Paymun Bayati, convicted of treating a patient while intoxicated, had his license reinstated with monitoring conditions.

The Iowa Dental Board has reinstated the license of Waterloo dentist Paymun Bayati, convicted in April 2024 of being intoxicated while treating a patient at Anamosa State Penitentiary. Bayati, who had a blood-alcohol level of 0.158 and was found slurring words and swaying, admitted to being impaired but claimed he was poisoned by a dental assistant who allegedly added isopropyl alcohol to his coffee. After voluntarily surrendering his license for a year, he sought early reinstatement, citing a substance abuse evaluation showing no need for treatment and existing monitoring due to his pilot and trucking licenses. The board approved reinstatement contingent on either joining the Iowa Professional Health Program or undergoing three years of board-monitored substance use monitoring. Separately, dentist Deborah Cassill of Cedar Rapids agreed to a $2,000 penalty and ethics training after being disciplined for allowing unlicensed staff to perform dental work and allegedly destroying a patient’s dental work, marking the second time she has faced such sanctions.