Former Prison Dentist in Iowa Accused of Harassment
In 2025, Paul Scot Kunch was working as a full-time dentist at the Iowa State Penitentiary in the town of Fort Madison. His salary at the time, according to the Iowa Capitol Dispatch, was $95,694. Now, Kunch is facing disciplinary action based on charges of improper, lewd or lascivious conduct.
While the Iowa Dental Board does not disclose the underlying circumstances behind the charges, they are related to “actions that the board deems to be abusive, coercive, intimidating, harassing, untruthful or threatening” while on the job. Kunch was also accused of “suggestive, lewd, lascivious or improper remarks or advances” to a patient or coworker.
A disciplinary hearing is scheduled for Kunch on November 5 of this year. Kunch was first issued a license to practice dentistry in the state in 1991, and now works at a private dental clinic in Grimes.
Kunch’s censure follows another case of a prison dentist in Iowa being disciplined for misconduct. In December 2023, Paymun Bayati was arrested while attempting to drive away from the Anamosa State Penitentiary after having completed a root canal procedure on an imprisoned patient. The police report said that Bayati appeared to be intoxicated; it also claimed that his speech was slurred and he “smelled heavily of alcohol,” according to the Iowa Capitol Dispatch. When Bayati took a blood alcohol test, the result showed twice the legal limit for driving.
Bayati was convicted of public intoxication in April 2024—and voluntarily surrendered his dental license for at least one year. During Bayati’s trial, the dental assistant testified that, while performing the root canal, he was swaying back and forth and had trouble picking up dental instruments. Bayati admitted to having been intoxicated, but claimed someone had “poisoned” him earlier that morning.
Despite his conviction, the Iowa Dental Board re-instated Bayati’s license to practice in November 2025.
Source: Iowa Capital Dispatch
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