A confident smile often begins with the right environment, where advanced dental care meets personalized attention, allowing patients to explore modern solutions that enhance both appearance and long-term oral health through carefully planned cosmetic and restorative treatments.
In a growing city where aesthetics and wellness intersect, many individuals seek trusted providers who understand the balance between function and beauty, ensuring every treatment contributes to improved confidence, better bite alignment, and sustainable dental health outcomes.
That's where Des Moines Cosmetic Dentistry Center becomes relevant, offering a patient-focused approach that blends clinical precision with artistic smile design, helping individuals achieve results that look natural while supporting the structure and longevity of their teeth.
Patients often begin their journey with concerns such as discoloration, uneven spacing, or worn enamel, and through comprehensive consultations, they gain clarity on the most effective treatment options tailored to their unique dental condition and personal goals.
As treatment planning progresses, modern diagnostic tools such as digital imaging and smile previews allow patients to visualize potential outcomes, creating a sense of confidence and transparency before any procedure begins, which improves overall satisfaction.
Cosmetic dentistry today goes beyond surface-level improvements, integrating functional corrections that address bite issues, gum health, and structural imbalances, ensuring that aesthetic enhancements are supported by a strong and healthy dental foundation.
ImplantsRead more here also:
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Procedures such as teeth whitening, porcelain veneers, and dental bonding are commonly explored, each offering unique benefits depending on the patient's needs, lifestyle, and expectations for both subtle improvements and more dramatic smile transformations.
For individuals seeking alignment without traditional braces, clear aligner systems like Invisalign provide a discreet and comfortable alternative, gradually repositioning teeth while maintaining convenience for daily routines and professional interactions.
As treatments progress, patients often notice improvements not only in appearance but also in confidence, speech clarity, and overall comfort, reinforcing the idea that dental care plays a significant role in everyday quality of life.
Clinic
Preventive care remains a crucial part of the journey, as maintaining results requires consistent oral hygiene, regular dental visits, and professional cleanings that help protect both natural teeth and cosmetic enhancements over time.
The integration of restorative procedures such as crowns, bridges, and implants ensures that patients with more complex needs can achieve complete smile rehabilitation, combining durability with aesthetics for long-term functionality.
A well-designed smile also considers facial symmetry, lip movement, and proportions, ensuring that results complement the patient's overall appearance rather than appearing artificial or overly enhanced.
As technology continues to evolve, minimally invasive techniques allow for more precise treatments with reduced discomfort and faster recovery times, making cosmetic dentistry more accessible and appealing to a wider range of patients.
Education plays a key role in the process, helping individuals understand how lifestyle habits such as diet, oral hygiene routines, and regular checkups influence the longevity of their dental results and overall oral health.
Over time, patients who invest in their smiles often experience a shift in self-perception, becoming more confident in social settings, professional environments, and personal interactions where appearance and communication matter.
Progress
The journey toward a better smile is rarely a single procedure but rather a series of carefully coordinated steps, each contributing to a final outcome that reflects both the patient's goals and the dentist's expertise.
Trust and communication remain essential throughout the process, ensuring that patients feel informed, comfortable, and confident in every decision made regarding their dental care and treatment plan.
As awareness around cosmetic dentistry grows, more individuals are recognizing its value not just for aesthetics but also for improving oral function, reducing discomfort, and preventing future dental complications.
ConfidenceThe combination of artistry, science, and patient-centered care continues to define modern dental practices, creating an environment where innovation supports both immediate results and long-term oral wellness.
Ultimately, achieving a healthier and more attractive smile is about more than appearance, as it reflects a commitment to self-care, confidence, and overall wellbeing that extends beyond the dental chair.
This ongoing evolution in dental care ensures that patients have access to solutions that are not only effective but also aligned with their lifestyle, making it easier to maintain results and enjoy lasting improvements in both health and confidence.
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Des Moines
Location in Iowa
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Coordinates:
41°35′27″N 93°37′15″W / 41.59083°N 93.62083°WCountry
United StatesState
IowaCountiesPolk and WarrenFounded1843IncorporatedSeptember 22, 1851Government
• TypeCouncil–manager[3] • BodyDes Moines City Council • MayorConnie Boesen (D) • Senate
• House
• U.S. CongressZach Nunn (R)Area
90.70 sq mi (234.92 km2) • Land88.18 sq mi (228.38 km2) • Water2.53 sq mi (6.54 km2)Elevation
794 ft (242 m)Population
214,133 • RankUS: 114th
IA: 1st • Density2,428/sq mi (937.6/km2) • Urban
542,486 (US: 78th) • Urban density2,410/sq mi (932/km2) • Metro
890,322 (US: 65th)Time zoneUTC−6 (CST) • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)ZIP Codes
Area code515FIPS code19-21000GNIS feature ID2394522[5]Websitedsm
Des Moines[a] is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is named after the Des Moines River, likely derived from the French Rivière des Moines meaning 'River of the Monks'. The city was incorporated in 1851 as Fort Des Moines and shortened to Des Moines in 1857.[6] Its population was 214,133 at the 2020 census.[7] The six-county Des Moines metropolitan area has an estimated 750,000 residents, the largest metropolitan area located entirely in Iowa.[8] It is the county seat of Polk County, with parts south of County Line Road extending into Warren County.
Des Moines is a major center of the United States insurance industry and has a sizable financial services and publishing business base. The city is the headquarters for the Principal Financial Group and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Other major corporations such as Wells Fargo, Cognizant, Voya Financial, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, ACE Limited, Bayer, and Corteva have large operations in or near the metropolitan area. In recent years, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and Facebook[9][10] have built data-processing and logistical facilities in the Des Moines area.
Des Moines is an important city in U.S. presidential politics; as the state's capital, it is the site of the first caucuses of the presidential primary cycle. Many presidential candidates set up campaign headquarters in Des Moines. A 2007 article in The New York Times said, "If you have any desire to witness presidential candidates in the most close-up and intimate of settings, there is arguably no better place to go than Des Moines."[11]
Des Moines takes its name from Fort Des Moines (1843–46), which was named for the Des Moines River. This was adopted from the name given by French colonists. Des Moines ( pronounced [de mwan] ⓘ; formerly [de mwɛn]) translates literally to either "from the monks" or "of the monks" from French.
One popular interpretation of "Des Moines" concludes that it refers to a group of French Trappist monks, who in the 17th century lived in huts built on top of what is now known as the ancient Monks Mound at Cahokia, the major center of Mississippian culture, which developed in what is present-day Illinois, east of the Mississippi River and the city of St. Louis. This was some 200 miles (320 km) from the Des Moines River.[12]
Based on archaeological evidence, the junction of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers has attracted humans for at least 7,000 years. Several prehistoric occupation areas have been identified by archaeologists in downtown Des Moines. Discovered in December 2010, the "Palace" is an expansive 7,000-year-old site found during excavations before construction of the new wastewater treatment plant in southeast Des Moines. It contains well-preserved house deposits and numerous graves. More than 6,000 artifacts were found at this site. State of Iowa archaeologist John Doershuk was assisted by University of Iowa archaeologists at this dig.[13]
At least three villages, dating from about AD 1300 to 1700, stood in or near what developed later as downtown Des Moines. In addition, 15 to 18 prehistoric Native American mounds were observed in the area by early settlers. All have been destroyed during development of the city.[14][15]
Des Moines traces its origins to May 1843, when Captain James Allen supervised the construction of a fort on the site where the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers merge. Allen wanted to use the name Fort Raccoon; however, the U.S. War Department preferred Fort Des Moines. The fort was built to control the Sauk and Meskwaki peoples, whom the government had moved to the area from their traditional lands in eastern Iowa. The fort was abandoned in 1846 after the Sauk and Meskwaki were removed from the state and shifted to the Indian Territory.[17]
The Sauk and Meskwaki did not fare well in Des Moines. The illegal whiskey trade, combined with the destruction of traditional lifeways, led to severe problems for their society. One newspaper reported:
"It is a fact that the location of Fort Des Moines among the Sac and Fox Indians (under its present commander) for the last two years, had corrupted them more and lowered them deeper in the scale of vice and degradation, than all their intercourse with the whites for the ten years previous".[17]
After official removal, the Meskwaki continued to return to Des Moines until around 1857.[15]
Archaeological excavations have shown that many fort-related features survived under what is now Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and First Street.[17][18] Soldiers stationed at Fort Des Moines opened the first coal mines in the area, mining coal from the riverbank for the fort's blacksmith.[19]
Settlers occupied the abandoned fort and nearby areas. On May 25, 1846, the state legislature designated Fort Des Moines as the seat of Polk County. Arozina Perkins, a school teacher who spent the winter of 1850–1851 in the town of Fort Des Moines, was not favorably impressed:
This is one of the strangest looking "cities" I ever saw... This town is at the juncture of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers. It is mostly a level prairie with a few swells or hills around it. We have a court house of "brick" and one church, a plain, framed building belonging to the Methodists. There are two taverns here, one of which has a most important little bell that rings together some fifty boarders. I cannot tell you how many dwellings there are, for I have not counted them; some are of logs, some of brick, some framed, and some are the remains of the old dragoon houses... The people support two papers and there are several dry goods shops. I have been into but four of them... Society is as varied as the buildings are. There are people from nearly every state, and Dutch, Swedes, etc.[20]
In May 1851, much of the town was destroyed during the Flood of 1851. "The Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers rose to an unprecedented height, inundating the entire country east of the Des Moines River. Crops were utterly destroyed, houses and fences swept away."[21] The city started to rebuild from scratch.
On September 22, 1851, Des Moines was incorporated as a city; the charter was approved by voters on October 18. In 1857, the name "Fort Des Moines" was shortened to "Des Moines", and it was designated as the second state capital, previously at Iowa City. Growth was slow during the Civil War period, but the city exploded in size and importance after a railroad link was completed in 1866.[23]
In 1864, the Des Moines Coal Company was organized to begin the first systematic mining in the region. Its first mine, north of town on the river's west side, was exhausted by 1873. The Black Diamond mine, near the south end of the West Seventh Street Bridge, sank a 150-foot (46 m) mine shaft to reach a 5-foot-thick (1.5 m) coal bed. By 1876, this mine employed 150 men and shipped 20 carloads of coal per day. By 1885, numerous mine shafts were within the city limits, and mining began to spread into the surrounding countryside. By 1893, 23 mines were in the region.[24] By 1908, Des Moines' coal resources were largely exhausted.[25] In 1912, Des Moines still had eight locals of the United Mine Workers union, representing 1,410 miners.[26] This was about 1.7% of the city's population in 1910.
By 1880, Des Moines had a population of 22,408, making it Iowa's largest city. It displaced the three Mississippi River ports: Burlington, Dubuque, and Davenport, which had alternated holding the position since the territorial period. Des Moines has remained Iowa's most populous city. In 1910, the Census Bureau reported Des Moines' population as 97.3% white and 2.7% black, reflecting its early settlement pattern primarily by ethnic Europeans.[27]
At the turn of the 20th century, encouraged by the Civic Committee of the Des Moines Women's Club, Des Moines undertook a "City Beautiful" project in which large Beaux Arts public buildings and fountains were constructed along the Des Moines River. The former Des Moines Public Library building (now the home of the World Food Prize); the United States central Post Office, built by the federal government (now the Polk County Administrative Building, with a newer addition); and the City Hall are surviving examples of the 1900–1910 buildings. They form the Civic Center Historic District.
The ornate riverfront balustrades that line the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers were built by the federal Civilian Conservation Corps in the mid-1930s, during the Great Depression under Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as a project to provide local employment and improve infrastructure. The ornamental fountains that stood along the riverbank were buried in the 1950s when the city began a postindustrial decline that lasted until the late 1980s.[28][29] The city has since rebounded, transforming from a blue-collar industrial city to a white-collar professional city.
In 1907, the city adopted a city commission government known as the Des Moines Plan, comprising an elected mayor and four commissioners, all elected at-large, who were responsible for public works, public property, public safety, and finance. Considered progressive at the time, it diluted the votes of ethnic and national minorities, who generally could not command a majority to elect a candidate of their choice.
That form of government was scrapped in 1950 in favor of a council-manager government, with the council members elected at-large. In 1967, the city changed its government to elect four of the seven city council members from single-member districts or wards, rather than at-large. This enabled a broader representation of voters. As with many major urban areas, the city core began losing population to the suburbs in the 1960s (the peak population of 208,982 was recorded in 1960), as highway construction led to new residential construction outside the city. The population was 198,682 in 2000 and grew slightly to 200,538 in 2009.[30] The growth of the outlying suburbs has continued, and the overall metropolitan-area population is over 700,000 today.
During the Great Flood of 1993, heavy rains throughout June and early July caused the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers to rise above flood stage levels. The Des Moines Water Works was submerged by floodwaters during the early morning hours of July 11, 1993, leaving an estimated 250,000 people without running water for 12 days and without drinking water for 20 days. Des Moines suffered major flooding again in June 2008 with a major levee breach.[31] The Des Moines River is controlled upstream by Saylorville Reservoir. In both 1993 and 2008, the flooding river overtopped the reservoir spillway.
Today, Des Moines is a member of ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA. Through ICLEI, Des Moines has implemented "The Tomorrow Plan", a regional plan focused on developing central Iowa in a sustainable fashion, centrally planned growth, and resource consumption to manage the local population.[32]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 90.65 square miles (234.78 km2),[33] of which 88.93 square miles (230.33 km2) is land and 1.73 square miles (4.48 km2) is covered by water.[34] It is 850 feet (260 m) above sea level at the confluence of the Raccoon and Des Moines Rivers.
In November 2005, Des Moines voters approved a measure that allowed the city to annex parcels of land in the northeast, southeast, and southern corners of Des Moines without agreement by local residents, particularly areas bordering the Iowa Highway 5/U.S. 65 bypass. The annexations became official on June 26, 2009, as 5,174 acres (20.94 km2) and around 868 new residents were added to the city of Des Moines.[35] An additional 759 acres (3.07 km2) were voluntarily annexed to the city over that same period.[35]
The Des Moines metropolitan area, officially the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), serves six counties in central Iowa: Polk, Dallas, Warren, Madison, Guthrie, and Jasper.[36] Des Moines is the principal city, with other major cities being West Des Moines and Ankeny. As of 2024, the population is 779,048, being the 78th highest metropolitan area based on population in the United States.[37]
The skyline of Des Moines changed in the 1970s and the 1980s, when several new skyscrapers were built. Additional skyscrapers were built in the 1990s, including Iowa's tallest. Before then, the 19-story Equitable Building, from 1924, was the tallest building in the city and the tallest building in Iowa. The 25-story Financial Center was completed in 1973 and the 36-story Ruan Center was completed in 1974. They were later joined by the 33-story Des Moines Marriott Hotel (1981), the 25-story HUB Tower and 25-story Plaza Building (1985). Iowa's tallest building, Principal Financial Group's 45-story tower at 801 Grand was built in 1991, and the 19-story EMC Insurance Building was erected in 1997.
During this time period, the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines (1979) was developed; it hosts Broadway shows and special events. Also constructed were the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden (1979), a large city botanical garden/greenhouse on the east side of the river; the Polk County Convention Complex (1985), and the State of Iowa Historical Museum (1987). The Des Moines skywalk also began to take shape during the 1980s. The skywalk system is 4 miles (6.4 km) long and connects many downtown buildings.[38][39]
In the early 21st century, the city has had more major construction in the downtown area. The new Science Center of Iowa and Blank IMAX Dome Theater and the Iowa Events Center opened in 2005. The new central branch of the Des Moines Public Library, designed by renowned architect David Chipperfield of London, opened on April 8, 2006.
The World Food Prize Foundation, which is based in Des Moines, completed adaptation and restoration of the former Des Moines Public Library building in October 2011. The former library now serves as the home and headquarters of the Norman Borlaug/World Food Prize Hall of Laureates.
At the center of North America and far removed from large bodies of water, the Des Moines area has a hot summer type humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), with warm to hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. Summer temperatures can often climb into the 90 °F (32 °C) range, occasionally reaching 100 °F (38 °C). Humidity can be high in spring and summer, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Fall brings pleasant temperatures and colorful fall foliage. Winters vary from moderately cold to bitterly cold, with low temperatures venturing below 0 °F (−18 °C) quite often. Snowfall averages 36.5 inches (93 cm) per season, and annual precipitation averages 36.55 inches (928 mm), with a peak in the warmer months. Winters are slightly colder than Chicago, but still warmer than Minneapolis, with summer temperatures being very similar between the Upper Midwest metropolitan areas.
| Climate data for Des Moines International Airport, Iowa (1991–2020 normals,[b] extremes 1878–present[c]) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 67 (19) |
78 (26) |
91 (33) |
93 (34) |
105 (41) |
103 (39) |
110 (43) |
110 (43) |
101 (38) |
95 (35) |
82 (28) |
74 (23) |
110 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 53.4 (11.9) |
58.7 (14.8) |
74.6 (23.7) |
83.9 (28.8) |
88.9 (31.6) |
93.1 (33.9) |
96.2 (35.7) |
94.4 (34.7) |
91.3 (32.9) |
83.3 (28.5) |
70.4 (21.3) |
57.8 (14.3) |
97.4 (36.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 30.9 (−0.6) |
35.7 (2.1) |
49.2 (9.6) |
62.0 (16.7) |
72.4 (22.4) |
81.9 (27.7) |
85.6 (29.8) |
83.6 (28.7) |
76.9 (24.9) |
63.4 (17.4) |
48.3 (9.1) |
35.9 (2.2) |
60.5 (15.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 22.3 (−5.4) |
26.9 (−2.8) |
39.4 (4.1) |
51.3 (10.7) |
62.4 (16.9) |
72.2 (22.3) |
76.0 (24.4) |
73.9 (23.3) |
66.2 (19.0) |
53.2 (11.8) |
39.3 (4.1) |
27.7 (−2.4) |
50.9 (10.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13.8 (−10.1) |
18.0 (−7.8) |
29.6 (−1.3) |
40.6 (4.8) |
52.3 (11.3) |
62.4 (16.9) |
66.4 (19.1) |
64.2 (17.9) |
55.4 (13.0) |
42.9 (6.1) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
19.5 (−6.9) |
41.3 (5.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −7.8 (−22.1) |
−2.7 (−19.3) |
9.2 (−12.7) |
24.9 (−3.9) |
37.6 (3.1) |
50.2 (10.1) |
56.9 (13.8) |
54.8 (12.7) |
40.4 (4.7) |
26.8 (−2.9) |
12.6 (−10.8) |
−1.2 (−18.4) |
−11.4 (−24.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −30 (−34) |
−26 (−32) |
−22 (−30) |
9 (−13) |
26 (−3) |
37 (3) |
47 (8) |
40 (4) |
26 (−3) |
7 (−14) |
−10 (−23) |
−22 (−30) |
−30 (−34) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.08 (27) |
1.34 (34) |
2.17 (55) |
4.02 (102) |
5.24 (133) |
5.26 (134) |
3.82 (97) |
4.17 (106) |
3.18 (81) |
2.78 (71) |
1.91 (49) |
1.58 (40) |
36.55 (928) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9.4 (24) |
10.2 (26) |
4.4 (11) |
1.2 (3.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.5 (1.3) |
2.7 (6.9) |
7.9 (20) |
36.5 (93) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 6.9 (18) |
7.4 (19) |
4.2 (11) |
0.8 (2.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
1.7 (4.3) |
4.9 (12) |
10.3 (26) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.2 | 8.4 | 9.5 | 11.5 | 12.7 | 11.7 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 8.2 | 8.6 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 113.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 6.9 | 6.3 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 5.6 | 25.3 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 71.0 | 71.3 | 67.9 | 63.2 | 63.0 | 64.8 | 67.7 | 70.0 | 70.9 | 66.5 | 71.0 | 74.6 | 68.5 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 157.7 | 163.3 | 206.0 | 222.2 | 276.0 | 312.1 | 337.8 | 297.9 | 239.8 | 210.0 | 138.5 | 129.2 | 2,690.4 |
| Percentage possible sunshine | 53 | 55 | 56 | 56 | 61 | 69 | 73 | 70 | 64 | 61 | 47 | 45 | 60 |
| Average ultraviolet index | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Source 1: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961−1990)[40][41][42] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)[43] | |||||||||||||
The city has the largest African American population in Iowa.[44]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 502 | — | |
| 1860 | 3,965 | 689.8% | |
| 1870 | 12,035 | 203.5% | |
| 1880 | 22,408 | 86.2% | |
| 1890 | 50,093 | 123.5% | |
| 1900 | 62,139 | 24.0% | |
| 1910 | 86,368 | 39.0% | |
| 1920 | 126,468 | 46.4% | |
| 1930 | 142,559 | 12.7% | |
| 1940 | 159,819 | 12.1% | |
| 1950 | 177,965 | 11.4% | |
| 1960 | 208,982 | 17.4% | |
| 1970 | 201,404 | −3.6% | |
| 1980 | 191,003 | −5.2% | |
| 1990 | 193,187 | 1.1% | |
| 2000 | 198,682 | 2.8% | |
| 2010 | 203,433 | 2.4% | |
| 2020 | 214,133 | 5.3% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 213,096 | −0.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[45][7] | |||
| Demographic profile | 2020[7] | 2010[46] | 1990[27] | 1970[27] | 1950[27] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 64.5% | 76.4% | 89.2% | 93.8% | 95.4% |
| —Non-Hispanic | 61.0% | 70.5% | 87.8% | 92.7%[d] | N/A |
| Black or African American | 11.7% | 10.2% | 7.1% | 5.7% | 4.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 15.6% | 12.0% | 2.4% | 1.3%[d] | N/A |
| Asian | 6.8% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 0.2% | − |
| Race or Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) |
Race Alone | Total[e] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 61.0% |
|
64.5% |
|
| Hispanic or Latino[f] | — | 15.6% |
|
|
| African American (NH) | 11.5% |
|
11.7% |
|
| Asian (NH) | 6.7% |
|
6.8% |
|
| Native American (NH) | 0.3% |
|
0.7% |
|
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 0.06% |
|
0.06% |
|
| Other | 0.4% |
|
6.6% |
|
The 2020 United States census counted 214,133 people, 87,958 households, and 48,599 families in Des Moines.[49][50] The population density was 2,428.4 per square mile (937.6/km2). There were 95,082 housing units at an average density of 1,078.3 per square mile (416.3/km2).[50][51]
The racial makeup (including Hispanics in the racial counts) was 64.54% (138,200) white or European American (60.99% non-Hispanic white), 11.68% (25,011) black or African-American, 0.69% (1,474) Native American or Alaska Native, 6.76% (14,474) Asian, 0.06% (135) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 6.62% (14,178) from other races, and 9.65% (20,661) from two or more races.[48]
The racial and ethnic makeup (where Hispanics are excluded from the racial counts and placed in their own category) was 60.99% (130,599) White alone (non-Hispanic), 11.46% (24,538) Black alone (non-Hispanic), 0.28% (597) Native American alone (non-Hispanic), 6.70% (14,348) Asian alone (non-Hispanic), 0.06% (124) Pacific Islander alone (non-Hispanic), 0.38% (817) Other Race alone (non-Hispanic), 4.50% (9,630) Multiracial or Mixed Race (non-Hispanic), and 15.64% (33,480) Hispanic or Latino.[52]
The 2020 census population of the city included 252 people incarcerated in adult correctional facilities and 2,378 people in student housing.[53]
Of the 87,958 households, 28.0% had children under the age of 18; 35.5% were married couples living together; 31.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 35.3% of households consisted of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[50] The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 3.3.[54] The percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 19.9% of the population.[55] Of the population age 25 and over, 86.7% were high school graduates or higher and 27.9% had a bachelor's degree or higher.[56]
23.5% of the population was under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.7 males.[50] For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 104.4 males.[50]
The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $54,843 (with a margin of error of +/- $1,544) and the median family income was $66,420 (+/- $1,919).[57] Males had a median income of $38,326 (+/- $1,405) versus $29,855 (+/- $1,327) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $33,699 (+/- $740).[58] Approximately, 12.1% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.3% of those under the age of 18 and 9.8% of those ages 65 or over.[59][60]
⬤ Black
⬤ Asian
⬤ Hispanic
⬤ Other
As of the census of 2010, there were 203,433 people, 81,369 households, and 47,491 families residing in the city.[61] Population density was 2,515.6 inhabitants per square mile (971.3/km2). There were 88,729 housing units at an average density of 1,097.2 per square mile (423.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city for unincorporated areas not merged with the city proper was 66.2% White, 15.5% African Americans, 0.5% Native American, 4.0% Asian, and 2.6% from Two or more races. People of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race, made up 12.1% of the population. The city's racial make up during the 2010 census was 76.4% White, 10.2% African American, 0.5% Native American, 4.4% Asian (1.2% Vietnamese, 0.9% Laotian, 0.4% Burmese, 0.3% Asian Indian, 0.3% Thai, 0.2% Chinese, 0.2% Cambodian, 0.2% Filipino, 0.1% Hmong, 0.1% Korean, 0.1% Nepalese), 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.0% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. People of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race, formed 12.0% of the population (9.4% Mexican, 0.7% Salvadoran, 0.3% Guatemalan, 0.3% Puerto Rican, 0.1% Honduran, 0.1% Ecuadorian, 0.1% Cuban, 0.1% Spaniard, 0.1% Spanish). Non-Hispanic Whites were 70.5% of the population in 2010.[46] Des Moines also has a sizeable South Sudanese community.[62]
There were 81,369 households, of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.6% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.11.
The median age in the city was 33.5 years. 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.4% were from 25 to 44; 23.9% were from 45 to 64; and 11% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.
As of the 2000 census, there were 198,682 people, 80,504 households, and 48,704 families in the city.[63] The population density was 2,621.3 inhabitants per square mile (1,012.1/km2). There were 85,067 housing units at an average density of 1,122.3 per square mile (433.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 82.3% white, 8.07% Black, 0.35% American Indian, 3.50% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.52% from other races, and 2.23% from two or more races. 6.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 20.9% were of German, 10.3% Irish, 9.1% "American" and 8.0% English ancestry, according to Census 2000.
There were 80,504 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.04.
The age distribution was 24.8% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,408, and the median income for a family was $46,590. Males had a median income of $31,712 versus $25,832 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,467. About 7.9% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those ages 65 or over.
| Rank | Employer | # of employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wells Fargo & Co. | 13,500 |
| 2 | UnityPoint Health | 8,026 |
| 3 | Principal Financial Group | 6,600 |
| 4 | MercyOne | 4,276 |
| 5 | Amazon | 3,500 |
| 6 | Nationwide/Allied Insurance | 3,300 |
| 7 | John Deere | 2,884 |
| 8 | Corteva | 2,500 |
| 9 | UPS | 1,721 |
| 10 | Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield | 1,600 |
Many insurance companies are headquartered in Des Moines, including the Principal Financial Group, Fidelity & Guaranty Life, Allied Insurance, GuideOne Insurance, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa and FBL Financial Group. Iowa has one of the lowest insurance premium taxes in the nation at 1%, and does not charge any premium taxes on qualified life insurance plans, making the state attractive to insurance business.[65] Des Moines has been referred to as the "Hartford of the West" and "Insurance Capital" because of this.[66][67] Principal is one of two Fortune 500 companies with headquarters in Iowa (the other being Casey's General Stores), ranking 201st on the magazine's list in 2020.[68]
As a center of financial and insurance services, other major corporations headquartered outside of Iowa have a presence in the Des Moines Metro area, including Wells Fargo, Voya Financial, and Electronic Data Systems (EDS). The Meredith Corporation, a leading publishing and marketing company, was also based in Des Moines prior to its acquisition by IAC and merger with Dotdash in 2021. Meredith published Better Homes and Gardens, one of the most widely circulated publications in the United States. Des Moines was also the headquarters of Golf Digest magazine.
Other major employers in Des Moines include UnityPoint Health, Mercy Medical Center, MidAmerican Energy Company, CDS Global, UPS, Firestone, Lumen Technologies, Drake University, Titan Tire, The Des Moines Register, Anderson Erickson, EMCO.[69]
The Brotherhood of American Yeomen, headquartered in Des Moines, went through various mergers before it became AmerUs, which was purchased by Aviva in 2006, for $2.9 billion.[70] In 2017, Kemin Industries opened a state-of-the-art worldwide headquarters building in Des Moines.[71]
The City of Des Moines is a cultural center for Iowa and home to several art and history museums and performing arts groups. The Des Moines Performing Arts routinely hosts touring Broadway shows and other live professional theater. The Temple for Performing Arts and Des Moines Playhouse are other venues for live theater, comedy, and performance arts.
The Des Moines Metro Opera has been a cultural resource in Des Moines since 1973. The Opera offers educational and outreach programs and is one of the largest performing arts organizations in the state. Ballet Des Moines was established in 2002. Performing three productions each year, the Ballet also provides opportunities for education and outreach.
The Des Moines Symphony performs frequently at different venues. In addition to performing seven pairs of classical concerts each season, the Symphony also entertains with New Year's Eve Pops and its annual Yankee Doodle Pops concerts.
Jazz in July[72] is an annual event founded in 1969 that performs free jazz shows daily at venues throughout the city during July.
Casey's Center is the Des Moines area's primary venue for sporting events and concerts since its opening in 2005. Named for title sponsor Casey's, Casey's Center holds 16,980 and books large, national touring acts for arena concert performances, while several smaller venues host local, regional, and national bands. It is the home of the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League, the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League, and the Iowa Barnstormers of the Indoor Football League.
The Simon Estes Riverfront Amphitheater is an outdoor concert venue on the east bank of the Des Moines River which hosts music events such as the Alive Concert Series.
The Des Moines Art Center, with wings designed by architects I.M. Pei and Richard Meier, presents art exhibitions and educational programs as well as studio art classes. The Center houses a collection of artwork from the 19th century to the present. An extension of the art center is downtown in an urban museum space, featuring three or four exhibitions each year.
The Pappajohn Sculpture Park was established in 2009. It showcases a collection of 24 sculptures donated by Des Moines philanthropists John and Mary Pappajohn. Nearby is the Temple for Performing Arts, a cultural center for the city. Next to the Temple is the 117,000-square-foot (10,900 m2) Central Library, designed by renowned English architect David Chipperfield.
Salisbury House and Gardens is a 42-room historic house museum on 10 acres (4 ha) of woodlands in the South of Grand neighborhood of Des Moines. It is named after—and loosely inspired by—King's House in Salisbury, England. Built in the 1920s by cosmetics magnate Carl Weeks and his wife, Edith, the Salisbury House contains authentic 16th-century English oak and rafters dating to Shakespeare's days, numerous other architectural features re-purposed from other historic English homes, and an internationally significant collection of original fine art, tapestries, decorative art, furniture, musical instruments, and rare books and documents. The Salisbury House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and has been featured on A&E's America's Castles and PBS's Antiques Roadshow. Prominent artists in the Salisbury House collection include Joseph Stella, Lillian Genth, Anthony van Dyck and Lawrence Alma-Tadema.
Built in 1877 by prominent pioneer businessman Hoyt Sherman, Hoyt Sherman Place mansion was Des Moines' first public art gallery and houses a distinctive collection of 19th and 20th century artwork. Its restored 1,250-seat theater features an intricate rococo plaster ceiling and excellent acoustics and is used for a variety of cultural performances and entertainment.
Arising in the east and facing westward toward downtown, the Iowa State Capitol building with its 275-foot (84 m), 23-karat gold leafed dome towering above the city is a favorite of sightseers. Four smaller domes flank the main dome. The Capitol houses the governor's offices, legislature, and the old Supreme Court Chambers. The ornate interior also features a grand staircase, mural "Westward", five-story law library, scale model of the USS Iowa, and collection of first lady dolls. Guided tours are available.
The Capitol grounds include a World War II memorial with sculpture and Wall of Memories, the 1894 Soldiers and Sailors Monument of the Civil War and memorials honoring those who served in the Spanish–American, Korean, and Vietnam Wars. The West Capitol Terrace provides the entrance from the west to the state's grandest building, the State Capitol Building. The 10-acre (4 ha) "people's park" at the foot of the Capitol complex includes a promenade and landscaped gardens, in addition to providing public space for rallies and special events. A granite map of Iowa depicting all 99 counties rests at the base of the terrace and has become an attraction for in-state visitors, many of whom walk over the map to find their home county.
Iowa's history lives on in the State of Iowa Historical Museum. This modern granite and glass structure at the foot of the State Capitol Building houses permanent and temporary exhibits exploring the people, places, events, and issues of Iowa's past. The showcase includes native wildlife, American Indian and pioneer artifacts, and political and military items. The museum features a genealogy and Iowa history library, museum gift shop, and cafe.
Terrace Hill, a National Historic Landmark and Iowa Governor's Residence, is among the best examples of American Victorian Second Empire architecture. This opulent 1869 home was built by Iowa's first millionaire, Benjamin F. Allen, and restored to the late 19th century period. It overlooks downtown Des Moines and is situated on 8 acres (3.2 ha) with a re-created Victorian formal garden. Tours are conducted Tuesdays through Saturdays from March through December.
The 110,000-square-foot (10,000 m2) Science Center of Iowa and Blank IMAX Dome Theater offers seven interactive learning areas, live programs, and hands-on activities encouraging learning and fun for all ages. Among its three theaters include the 216-seat Blank IMAX Dome Theater, 175-seat John Deere Adventure Theater featuring live performances, and a 50-foot (15 m) domed Star Theater.
The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, an indoor conservatory of over 15,000 exotic plants, is one of the largest collections of tropical, subtropical, and desert-growing plants in the Midwest. The Center blooms with thousands of flowers year-round. Nearby are the Robert D. Ray Asian Gardens and Pavilion, named in honor of the former governor whose influence helped relocate thousands of Vietnamese refugees to Iowa homes in the 1970s and 1980s. Developed by the city's Asian community, the Gardens include a three-story Chinese pavilion, bonsai landscaping, and granite sculptures to highlight the importance of diversity and recognize Asian American contributions in Iowa.
Blank Park Zoo is a landscaped 22-acre (8.9 ha) zoological park on the south side. Among the exhibits include a tropical rain forest, Australian Outback, and Africa. The Zoo offers education classes, tours, and rental facilities.
The Iowa Primate Learning Sanctuary was established as a scientific research facility with a 230-acre (93 ha) campus housing bonobos and orangutans for the noninvasive interdisciplinary study of their cognitive and communicative capabilities.
The East Village, on the east side of the Des Moines River, begins at the river and extends about five blocks east to the State Capitol Building, offering an eclectic blend of historic buildings, hip eateries, boutiques, art galleries, and a wide variety of other retail establishments mixed with residences.
Adventureland Park is an amusement park in neighboring Altoona, just northeast of Des Moines. The park boasts more than 100 rides, shows, and attractions, including six rollercoasters. A hotel and campground is just outside the park. Also in Altoona is Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino, an entertainment venue for gambling and horse racing. Open 24 hours a day, year-round, the racetrack and casino features live racing, plus over 1,750 slot machines, table games, and concert and show entertainment. The racetrack hosts two Grade III races annually, the Iowa Oaks and the Cornhusker Handicap.
Living History Farms in suburban Urbandale tells the story of Midwestern agriculture and rural life in a 500-acre (2.0 km2) open-air museum with interpreters dressed in period costume who recreate the daily routines of early Iowans. Open daily from May through October, the Living History Farms include a 1700 Ioway Indian village, 1850 pioneer farm, 1875 frontier town, 1900 horse-powered farm, and a modern crop center.
Wallace House was the home of the first Henry Wallace, a national leader in agriculture and conservation and the first editor of Wallaces' Farmer farm journal. This restored 1883 Italianate Victorian houses exhibits, artifacts, and information covering four generations of Henry Wallaces and other family members.
Historic Jordan House in West Des Moines is a stately Victorian home built in 1850 and added to in 1870 by the first white settler in West Des Moines, James C. Jordan. Completely refurbished, this mansion was part of the Underground Railroad and today houses 16 period rooms, a railroad museum, West Des Moines community history, and a museum dedicated to the Underground Railroad in Iowa. In 1893 Jordan's daughter Eda was sliding down the banister when she fell off and broke her neck. She died two days later, and her ghost is reputed to haunt the house.[73]
The Chicago Tribune wrote that Iowa's capital city has "walker-friendly downtown streets and enough outdoor sculpture, sleek buildings, storefronts and cafes to delight the most jaded stroller".[74]
Des Moines plays host to a growing number of nationally acclaimed cultural events, including the annual Des Moines Arts Festival in June, Metro Arts Jazz in July,[75] Iowa State Fair in August, and the World Food & Music Festival in September.[76]
Other annual festivals and events include: Des Moines Beer Week, 80/35 Music Festival, 515 Alive Music Festival, ArtFest Midwest, Blue Ribbon Bacon Fest,[77]
Des Moines hosts professional minor league teams in several sports — baseball, basketball, hockey, indoor football, and soccer — and is home to the sports teams of Drake University which play in NCAA Division I.
The Des Moines Menace soccer club, a member of USL League Two, play their home games at Valley Stadium in West Des Moines. Des Moines United FC of the National Premier Soccer League also utilize Valley Stadium.
Des Moines is home to the Iowa Cubs baseball team of the International League. The I-Cubs, which are the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Chicago Cubs, play their home games at Principal Park near the confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers.
Casey's Center of the Iowa Events Center is home to the Iowa Barnstormers of the Indoor Football League, the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League, and the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League. The Barnstormers relaunched as an af2 club in 2008 before joining a relaunched Arena Football League in 2010 and the Indoor Football League in 2015; the Barnstormers had previously played in the Arena Football League from 1994 to 2000 (featuring future NFL Hall of Famer and Super Bowl MVP quarterback Kurt Warner) before relocating to New York. The Iowa Energy, a D-League team, began play in 2007. They were bought by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017 and were renamed the Iowa Wolves to reflect the new ownership. The Wild, the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild have played at Casey's Center since 2013; previously, the Iowa Chops played four seasons in Des Moines (known as the Iowa Stars for three of those seasons.)
Additionally, the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League play at Buccaneer Arena in suburban Urbandale.
Des Moines is also home to the Drake University Bulldogs, an NCAA Division I member of the Missouri Valley Conference, primarily playing northwest of downtown at the on-campus Drake Stadium and Knapp Center. Drake Stadium is home to the famed Drake Relays each April. In addition to the Drake Relays, Drake Stadium has hosted multiple NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.[79]
The Vikings of Grand View University also compete in intercollegiate athletics in Des Moines. A member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference, within the NAIA, they field 21 varsity athletic teams. They were NAIA National Champions in football in 2013.
The Principal Charity Classic, a Champions Tour golf event, is held at Wakonda Club in late May or early June. The IMT Des Moines Marathon is held throughout the city each October.
| Club | Sport | League | Venue | City | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Barnstormers | American football | Indoor Football League | Casey's Center | Des Moines | 1995 (2008) |
| Iowa Cubs | Baseball | International League, Minor League Baseball | Principal Park | Des Moines | 1969 |
| Iowa Wolves | Basketball | NBA G League | Casey's Center | Des Moines | 2007 |
| Des Moines Buccaneers | Ice hockey | United States Hockey League | Buccaneer Arena | Urbandale | 1980 |
| Iowa Wild | Ice hockey | American Hockey League | Casey's Center | Des Moines | 2013 |
| Des Moines Menace | Soccer | USL League Two | Valley Stadium | West Des Moines | 1994 |
| Des Moines United FC | Soccer | National Premier Soccer League | Valley Stadium | West Des Moines | 2021 |
| Drake Bulldogs | Multi | NCAA Division I, Missouri Valley Conference | Drake Stadium, Knapp Center | Des Moines | 1881 |
Des Moines has 76 city parks and three golf courses, as well as three family aquatic centers, five community centers and three swimming pools. The city has 45 miles (72 km) of trails. The first major park was Greenwood Park. The park commissioners purchased the land on April 21, 1894.
The Principal Riverwalk is a riverwalk park district being constructed along the banks of the Des Moines River in the downtown. Primarily funded by the Principal Financial Group, the Riverwalk is a multi-year jointly funded project also funded by the city and state. Upon completion, it will feature a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) recreational trail connecting the east and west sides of downtown via two pedestrian bridges. A landscaped promenade along the street level is planned. The Riverwalk includes the downtown Brenton Skating Plaza, open from November through March.
Gray's Lake, part of the 167 acres (68 ha) of Gray's Lake Park, features a boat rental facility, fishing pier, floating boardwalks, and a park resource center. Located just south of the downtown, the centerpiece of the park is a lighted 1.9-mile (3.1 km) Kruidenier Trail, encircling it entirely.
From downtown Des Moines primarily along the east bank of the Des Moines River, the Neil Smith and John Pat Dorrian Trails are 28.2-mile (45.4 km) paved recreational trails that connect Gray's Lake northward to the east shore of Saylorville Lake, Big Creek State Park, and the recreational trails of Ankeny including the High Trestle Trail.[80] These trails are near several recreational facilities including the Pete Crivaro Park, Principal Park, the Principal Riverwalk, the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Union Park and its Heritage Carousel of Des Moines, Birdland Park and the Birdland Marina/Boatramp on the Des Moines River, Riverview Park, McHenry Park, and River Drive Park.[81] Although outside of Des Moines, Jester Park has 1,834 acres (742 ha) of land along the western shore of Saylorville Lake and can be reached from the Neil Smith Trail over the Saylorville Dam.
Just west of Gray's Lake are the 1,500 acres (607 ha) of the Des Moines Water Works Park. The Water Works Park is along the banks of the Raccoon River immediately upstream from where the Raccoon River empties into the Des Moines River. The Des Moines Water Works Facility, which obtains the city's drinking water from the Raccoon River, is entirely within the Water Works Park. A bridge in the park crosses the Raccoon River. The Water Works Park recreational trails link to downtown Des Moines by travelling past Gray's Lake and back across the Raccoon River via either along the Meredith Trail near Principal Park, or along the Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. The Water Works Park trails connect westward to Valley Junction and the recreational trails of the western suburbs: Windsor Heights, Urbandale, Clive, and Waukee. Also originating from Water Works Park, the Great Western Trail is an 18-mile (29 km) journey southward from Des Moines to Martensdale through the Willow Creek Golf Course, Orilla, and Cumming. Often, the location for summer music festivals and concerts, Water Works Park was the overnight campground for thousands of bicyclists on Tuesday, July 23, 2013, during RAGBRAI XLI.[82]
Des Moines operates under a council–manager form of government. The council consists of a mayor who is elected in citywide vote, two at-large members, and four members representing each of the city's four wards. In 2014, Jonathan Gano was appointed as the new Public Works Director.[83] In 2015, Dana Wingert was appointed as Police Chief.[84] In 2018, Steven L. Naber was appointed as the new City Engineer.[85]
The council members include:[86]
| Ward[87] | Locale | Member | Elected | Term ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwest | Chris Coleman | 2023 | 2026 |
| 2 | Northeast | Linda Westergaard | 2015 | 2028 |
| 3 | Southwest | Josh Mandelbaum | 2017 | 2026 |
| 4 | Southeast | Joe Gatto | 2014 | 2028 |
| At-large | Citywide | Carl Voss | 2019 | 2028 |
| At-large | Citywide | Mike Simonson | 2024 | 2026 |
| Mayor | Citywide | Connie Boesen | 2023 | 2028 |
A plan to merge the governments of Des Moines and Polk County was rejected by voters during the November 2, 2004, election. The consolidated city-county government would have had a full-time mayor and a 15-member council that would have been divided among the city and its suburbs. Each suburb would still have retained its individual government but with the option to join the consolidated government at any time. Although a full merger was soundly rejected, several city and county departments and programs have been consolidated.
The Des Moines Public Schools district is the largest community school district in Iowa with 32,062 enrolled students as of the 2012–2013 school year. The district consists of 63 schools: 38 elementary schools, eleven middle schools, five high schools (East, Hoover, Lincoln, North, and Roosevelt), and ten special schools and programs.[88] Small parts of the city are instead served by Carlisle Community Schools,[89] Johnston Community School District,[90] the Southeast Polk Community School District[91] and the Saydel School District[92] Grand View Christian School is the only private school in the city, although Des Moines Christian School (in Des Moines from 1947 to 2006) in Urbandale, Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, and Ankeny Christian Academy on the north side of the metro area serve some city residents.
Des Moines is also home to the main campuses of three four-year private colleges: Drake University, Grand View University, and Mercy College of Health Sciences. The University of Iowa has a satellite facility in the city's Western Gateway Park, while Iowa State University hosts Master of Business Administration classes downtown. Des Moines Area Community College is the area's community college with campuses in Ankeny, Des Moines, and West Des Moines. The city is also home to Des Moines University, an osteopathic medical school.
The Des Moines market, which originally consisted of Polk, Dallas, Story, and Warren counties,[93] was ranked 91st by Arbitron as of the fall of 2007 with a population of 512,000 aged 12 and older.[94] In June 2011 it moved up to 72nd with the addition of Boone, Clarke, Greene, Guthrie, Jasper, Lucas, Madison and Marion counties.[95]
iHeartMedia owns five radio stations in the area, including WHO 1040 AM, a 50,000-watt AM news/talk station that has the highest ratings in the area[96] and once employed future President Ronald Reagan as a sportscaster. In addition to WHO, iHeartMedia owns KDRB 100.3 FM (adult hits), KKDM 107.5 FM (contemporary hits), KXNO-FM 106.3, and KXNO 1460 AM (sports radio).[97] They also own news/talk station KASI 1430 AM and hot adult contemporary station KCYZ 105.1 FM, both of which broadcast from Ames.
Cumulus Media owns five stations that broadcast from facilities in Urbandale: KBGG 1700 AM (sports), KGGO 94.9 FM (classic rock), KHKI 97.3 FM (country music), KJJY 92.5 FM (country music), and KWQW 98.3 FM (contemporary hits).[98]
Saga Communications owns nine stations in the area: KAZR LAZER 103.3 FM (rock), KAZR-HD2 (oldies), 93.3 KIOA FM (Classic Hits), KIOA-HD2 HITS 99.9FM & 93.3 HD2 (Rhythmic Top 40), KOEZ 104.1 EZ FM (soft adult contemporary), KPSZ HOPE 940 AM (Religious teaching and conservative talk), KRNT 1350 AM (ESPN Radio), KSTZ STAR 102.5 FM (adult contemporary hits), and KSTZ-HD2 The Outlaw (classic country).[99]
Other stations in the Des Moines area include religious stations KWKY 1150 AM, and KPUL 101.7 FM.[100]
Non-commercial radio stations in the Des Moines area include KDPS 88.1 FM, a station operated by the Des Moines Public Schools; KWDM 88.7 FM, a station operated by Valley High School; KJMC 89.3 FM, an urban contemporary station; K213DV 90.5 FM, the contemporary Christian K-Love affiliate for the area; and KDFR 91.3 FM, operated by Family Radio. Iowa Public Radio broadcasts several stations in the Des Moines area, all of which are owned by Iowa State University and operated on campus. WOI 640 AM, the network's flagship station, and WOI-FM 90.1, the network's flagship "Studio One" station, are both based out of Ames and serve as the area's National Public Radio outlets. The network also operates classical stations KICG, KICJ, KICL and KICP.[101] The University of Northwestern – St. Paul operates Contemporary Christian simulcasts of KNWI-FM at 107.1 Osceola/Des Moines, KNWM-FM at 96.1 Madrid/Ames/Des Moines, and K264CD at 100.7 in downtown Des Moines. Low-power FM stations include KFMG-LP 99.1, a community radio station broadcasting from the Hotel Fort Des Moines and also webstreamed.[100][102]
The Des Moines-Ames media market consists of 35 central Iowa counties: Adair, Adams, Appanoose, Audubon, Boone, Calhoun, Carroll, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Franklin, Greene, Guthrie, Hamilton, Hardin, Humboldt, Jasper, Kossuth, Lucas, Madison, Mahaska, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Pocahontas, Polk, Poweshiek, Ringgold, Story, Taylor, Union, Warren, Wayne, Webster, and Wright.[93] It was ranked 71st by Nielsen Media Research for the 2008–2009 television season with 432,410 television households.[103]
Commercial television stations serving Des Moines include CBS affiliate KCCI channel 8, NBC affiliate WHO-DT channel 13, and Fox affiliate KDSM-TV channel 17. ABC affiliate WOI-TV channel 5 and CW affiliate KCWI-TV channel 23 are both licensed to Ames and broadcast from studios in West Des Moines. KFPX-TV channel 39, the local ION affiliate, is licensed to Newton. Two non-commercial stations are also licensed to Des Moines: KDIN channel 11, the local PBS member station and flagship of the Iowa Public Television network, and KDMI channel 19, a TCT affiliate. Mediacom is the Des Moines area's cable television provider.[104]
The Des Moines Register is the city's primary daily newspaper. As of March 31, 2007, the Register ranked 71st in circulation among daily newspapers in the United States according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations with 146,050 daily and 233,229 Sunday subscribers.[105] Weekly newspapers include Juice, a publication aimed at the 25–34 demographic published by the Register on Wednesdays; Cityview, an alternative weekly published on Thursdays; and the Des Moines Business Record, a business journal published on Sundays, along with the West Des Moines Register, the Johnston Register, and the Waukee Register on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays depending on the address of the subscriber. Additionally, magazine publisher Meredith Corporation was based in Des Moines prior to its acquisition by IAC and merger with Dotdash in 2021.
Des Moines is the birthplace of many famously known bands and artists today. Slipknot, a popular American heavy metal band, was founded in 1995 by percussionist Shawn Crahan, former vocalist Anders Colsefni and bassist Paul Gray; the band would be also founded by Joey Jordison. The band was signed to Roadrunner Records and has become one of the biggest bands in the metal world.
Stone Sour, an American rock band, was founded in 1992 by Corey Taylor and former drummer Joel Ekman. Taylor would later go on to become the lead singer for Slipknot. The band has since been on an indefinite hiatus since 2020.
Vended, an American heavy metal band, was founded in 2018[106] by Griffin Taylor and Simon Crahan, who are the sons of well-known musicians Corey Taylor and Shawn "Clown" Crahan from Slipknot. They are currently an independent band that has released one studio album in 2024[106] called Vended, several singles and one EP. The band has seen growing success in the past few years, including their 2022 Vended tour in the United States with Jinjer and P.O.D.
Des Moines has an extensive skywalk system within its downtown core. With over four miles of enclosed walkway, it is one of the largest of such systems in the United States. The Des Moines Skywalk System has been criticized for hurting street-level business, though a recent initiative has been made to make street-level Skywalk entrances more visible.
Interstate 235 (I-235) cuts through the city, and I-35 and I-80 both pass through the Des Moines metropolitan area, as well as the city of Des Moines. On the northern side of the city of Des Moines and passing through the cities of Altoona, Clive, Johnston, Urbandale and West Des Moines, I-35 and I-80 converge into a long concurrency while I-235 takes a direct route through Des Moines, Windsor Heights, and West Des Moines before meeting up with I-35 and I-80 on the western edge of the metro. The Des Moines Bypass passes south and east of the city.[107] Other routes in and around the city include US 6, US 69, Iowa 28, Iowa 141, Iowa 163, Iowa 330, Iowa 415, and Iowa 160.
Des Moines's public transit system, operated by DART (Des Moines Area Regional Transit), which was the Des Moines Metropolitan Transit Authority until October 2006, consists entirely of buses, including regular in-city routes and express and commuter buses to outlying suburban areas.
Characteristics of household ownership of cars in Des Moines are similar to national averages. In 2015, 8.5 percent of Des Moines households lacked a car, and that number increased to 9.6 percent in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Des Moines averaged 1.71 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.[108]
Burlington Trailways and Jefferson Lines run long-distance, intercity bus routes through Des Moines. The bus station is located north of downtown.
Although Des Moines was historically a train hub, it does not have direct passenger train service. For east–west traffic it was served at the Rock Island Depot by the Corn Belt Rocket express from Omaha to the west, to Chicago in the east. The Rock Island also offered the Rocky Mountain Rocket from Colorado Springs in the west, to Chicago, and the Twin Star Rocket to Minneapolis to the north and Dallas and Houston to the south. The last train was an unnamed service ending at Council Bluffs, and it was discontinued on May 31, 1970.[109][110] Today, this line constitutes the mainline of the Iowa Interstate Railroad.
Other railroads used the East Des Moines Union Station. Northward and northwest bound, there were Chicago and North Western trains to destinations including Minneapolis. The Wabash Railroad ran service to the southeast to St. Louis. These lines remain in use but are now operated by Union Pacific and BNSF.
The nearest Amtrak station is in Osceola, about 40 miles (64 km) south of Des Moines. The Osceola station is served by the Chicago–San Francisco California Zephyr; there is no Osceola–Des Moines Amtrak Thruway connecting service.[111] There have been proposals to extend Amtrak's planned Chicago–Moline Quad City Rocket to Des Moines via the Iowa Interstate Railroad.[112][113]
The Des Moines International Airport (DSM), on Fleur Drive in the southern part of Des Moines, offers nonstop service to destinations within the United States. The only international service has been cargo service, but there have been discussions about adding an international terminal.
The Greater Des Moines Sister City Commission, with members from the City of Des Moines and the suburbs of Cumming, Norwalk, Windsor Heights, Johnston, Urbandale, and Ankeny, maintains sister city relationships with:[114]
Kōfu, Japan (1958)
Saint-Étienne, France (1985)
Shijiazhuang, China (1985)
Pristina, Kosovo (2018) (Kosovo also opened a Consulate in downtown Des Moines in 2015 – List of diplomatic missions of Kosovo)[115]
Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia (1987)[116]Des Moines was nicknamed the Hartford of the West because like Hartford, Conn., it is an insurance center.
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Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the mouth, most commonly focused on dentition (the development and arrangement of teeth) as well as the oral mucosa.[2] Dentistry may also encompass other aspects of the craniofacial complex including the temporomandibular joint. The practitioner is called a dentist.
The history of dentistry is almost as ancient as the history of humanity and civilization, with the earliest evidence dating from 7000 BC to 5500 BC.[3] Dentistry is thought to have been the first specialization in medicine which has gone on to develop its own accredited degree with its own specializations.[4] Dentistry is often also understood to subsume the now largely defunct medical specialty of stomatology (the study of the mouth and its disorders and diseases) for which reason the two terms are used interchangeably in certain regions. However, some specialties such as oral and maxillofacial surgery (facial reconstruction/OMFS) may require both medical and dental degrees to accomplish.
Dental treatments are carried out by a dental team, which often consists of a dentist and dental auxiliaries (such as dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental technicians, and dental therapists). Most dentists either work in private practices (primary care), dental hospitals, or (secondary care) institutions (prisons, armed forces bases, etc.).
The modern movement of evidence-based dentistry calls for the use of high-quality scientific research and evidence to guide decision-making such as in manual tooth conservation, use of fluoride water treatment and fluoride toothpaste, dealing with oral diseases such as tooth decay and periodontitis, as well as systematic diseases such as osteoporosis, diabetes, celiac disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and HIV/AIDS which could also affect the oral cavity. Other practices relevant to evidence-based dentistry include radiology of the mouth to inspect teeth deformity or oral malaises, haematology (study of blood) to avoid bleeding complications during dental surgery, cardiology (due to various severe complications arising from dental surgery with patients with heart disease), etc.
The term dentistry comes from dentist, which comes from French dentiste, which comes from the French and Latin words for tooth.[5] The term for the associated scientific study of teeth is odontology (from Ancient Greek: ὀδούς, romanized: odoús, lit. 'tooth') – the study of the structure, development, and abnormalities of the teeth.
Dentistry usually encompasses practices related to the oral cavity.[6] According to the World Health Organization, oral diseases are major public health problems due to their high incidence and prevalence across the globe, with the disadvantaged affected more than other socio-economic groups.[7]
The majority of dental treatments are carried out to prevent or treat the two most common oral diseases, which are dental caries (tooth decay) and periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis). Common treatments involve the restoration of teeth, extraction or surgical removal of teeth, scaling and root planing, endodontic root canal treatment, and cosmetic dentistry.
By nature of their general training, dentists, without specialization, can carry out the majority of dental treatments such as restorative (fillings, crowns, bridges), prosthetic (dentures), endodontic (root canal) therapy, periodontal (gum) therapy, and extraction of teeth, as well as performing examinations, radiographs (x-rays), and diagnosis. Dentists can also prescribe medications used in the field such as antibiotics, sedatives, and any other drugs used in patient management. Depending on their licensing boards, general dentists may be required to complete additional training to perform sedation, dental implants, etc.
Dentists also encourage the prevention of oral diseases through proper hygiene and regular, twice or more yearly, checkups for professional cleaning and evaluation. Oral infections and inflammations may affect overall health, and conditions in the oral cavity may be indicative of systemic diseases, such as osteoporosis, diabetes, celiac disease or cancer.[6][8][11][12] Many studies have also shown that gum disease is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and preterm birth. The concept that oral health can affect systemic health and disease is referred to as "oral-systemic health".
John M. Harris started the world's first dental school in Bainbridge, Ohio, and helped to establish dentistry as a health profession. It opened on 21 February 1828, and today is a dental museum.[13] The first dental college, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, opened in Baltimore, Maryland, US in 1840. The second in the United States was the Ohio College of Dental Surgery, established in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1845.[14] The Philadelphia College of Dental Surgery followed in 1852.[15] In 1907, Temple University accepted a bid to incorporate the school.
Studies show that dentists who graduated from different countries,[16] or even from different dental schools in one country,[17] may make different clinical decisions for the same clinical condition. For example, dentists that graduated from Israeli dental schools may recommend the removal of asymptomatic impacted third molar (wisdom teeth) more often than dentists that graduated from Latin American or Eastern European dental schools.[18]
In the United Kingdom, the first dental schools, the London School of Dental Surgery and the Metropolitan School of Dental Science, both in London, opened in 1859.[19] The British Dentists Act 1878 and the 1879 Dentists Register limited the title of "dentist" and "dental surgeon" to qualified and registered practitioners.[20][21] However, others could legally describe themselves as "dental experts" or "dental consultants".[22] The practice of dentistry in the United Kingdom became fully regulated with the 1921 Dentists Act, which required the registration of anyone practising dentistry.[23] The British Dental Association, formed in 1880 with Sir John Tomes as president, played a major role in prosecuting dentists practising illegally.[20] Dentists in the United Kingdom are now regulated by the General Dental Council.
Dentists in many countries complete between five and eight years of post-secondary education before practising. Though not mandatory, many dentists choose to complete an internship or residency focusing on specific aspects of dental care after they have received their dental degree. In a few countries, to become a qualified dentist one must usually complete at least four years of postgraduate study;[24] Dental degrees awarded around the world include the Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) and Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) in North America (US and Canada), and the Bachelor of Dental Surgery/Baccalaureus Dentalis Chirurgiae (BDS, BDent, BChD, BDSc) in the UK and current and former British Commonwealth countries.
All dentists in the United States undergo at least three years of undergraduate studies, but nearly all complete a bachelor's degree. This schooling is followed by four years of dental school to qualify as a "Doctor of Dental Surgery" (DDS) or "Doctor of Dental Medicine" (DMD). Specialization in dentistry is available in the fields of Anesthesiology, Dental Public Health, Endodontics, Oral Radiology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Medicine, Orofacial Pain, Pathology, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry (Pedodontics), Periodontics, and Prosthodontics.[25]
Many countries require licensed dentists to undertake continuing education or continuing professional development (CE/CPD) after graduation. These structured activities help maintain clinical competence, support patient safety, and keep practitioners up to date with current standards of care, with government regulators typically specifying minimum hours or points per cycle and mandating core topics such as infection control, radiography, and medical emergencies.[26]
Some dentists undertake further training after their initial degree in order to specialize. Exactly which subjects are recognized by dental registration bodies varies according to location. Examples include:
Tooth decay was low in pre-agricultural societies, but the advent of farming society about 10,000 years ago correlated with an increase in tooth decay (cavities).[29] An infected tooth from Italy partially cleaned with flint tools, between 13,820 and 14,160 years old, represents the oldest known dentistry,[30] although a 2017 study suggests that 130,000 years ago the Neanderthals already used rudimentary dentistry tools.[31][32]
In Italy evidence dated to the Paleolithic, around 13,000 years ago, points to bitumen used to fill a tooth[33] and in Neolithic Slovenia, 6500 years ago, beeswax was used to close a fracture in a tooth.[34] The Indus valley has yielded evidence of dentistry being practised as far back as 7000 BC, during the Stone Age.[35] The Neolithic site of Mehrgarh (now in Pakistan's south western province of Balochistan) indicates that this form of dentistry involved curing tooth related disorders with bow drills operated, perhaps, by skilled bead-crafters.[3] The reconstruction of this ancient form of dentistry showed that the methods used were reliable and effective. The earliest dental filling, made of beeswax, was discovered in Slovenia and dates from 6500 years ago.[36] Dentistry was practised in prehistoric Malta, as evidenced by a skull which had a dental abscess lanced from the root of a tooth dating back to around 2500 BC.[37] The practice of dentistry dates back thousands of years, with evidence of dental procedures such as tooth extraction and fillings found in ancient civilizations like the Egyptians and the Greeks. One notable historical figure is Pierre Fauchard, often referred to as the 'father of modern dentistry,' who wrote the first comprehensive book on the subject in 1728.
An ancient Sumerian text describes a "tooth worm" as the cause of dental caries.[38] Evidence of this belief has also been found in ancient India, Egypt, Japan, and China. The legend of the worm is also found in the Homeric Hymns,[39] and as late as the 14th century AD the surgeon Guy de Chauliac still promoted the belief that worms cause tooth decay.[40]
Recipes for the treatment of toothache, infections and loose teeth are spread throughout the Ebers Papyrus, Kahun Papyri, Brugsch Papyrus, and Hearst papyrus of Ancient Egypt.[41] The Edwin Smith Papyrus, written in the 17th century BC but which may reflect previous manuscripts from as early as 3000 BC, discusses the treatment of dislocated or fractured jaws.[41][42] In the 18th century BC, the Code of Hammurabi referenced dental extraction twice as it related to punishment.[43] Examination of the remains of some ancient Egyptians and Greco-Romans reveals early attempts at dental prosthetics.[44] However, it is possible the prosthetics were prepared after death for aesthetic reasons.[41]
Ancient Greek scholars Hippocrates and Aristotle wrote about dentistry, including the eruption pattern of teeth, treating decayed teeth and gum disease, extracting teeth with forceps, and using wires to stabilize loose teeth and fractured jaws.[45] Use of dental appliances, bridges and dentures was applied by the Etruscans in northern Italy, from as early as 700 BC, of human or other animal teeth fastened together with gold bands.[46][47][48] The Romans had likely borrowed this technique by the 5th century BC.[47][49] The Phoenicians crafted dentures during the 6th–4th century BC, fashioning them from gold wire and incorporating two ivory teeth.[50] In ancient Egypt, Hesy-Ra is the first named "dentist" (greatest of the teeth). The Egyptians bound replacement teeth together with gold wire. Roman medical writer Cornelius Celsus wrote extensively of oral diseases as well as dental treatments such as narcotic-containing emollients and astringents.[51] The earliest dental amalgams were first documented in a Tang dynasty medical text written by the Chinese physician Su Kung in 659, and appeared in Germany in 1528.[52][53]
During the Islamic Golden Age dentistry was discussed in several famous books of medicine such as The Canon in medicine written by Avicenna and Al-Tasreef by Al-Zahrawi who is considered the greatest surgeon of the Middle Ages.[54] Avicenna said that jaw fracture should be reduced according to the occlusal guidance of the teeth; this principle is still valid in modern times. Al-Zahrawi invented over 200 surgical tools that resemble the modern kind.[55]
Historically, dental extractions have been used to treat a variety of illnesses. During the Middle Ages and throughout the 19th century, dentistry was not a profession in itself, and often dental procedures were performed by barbers or general physicians. Barbers usually limited their practice to extracting teeth which alleviated pain and associated chronic tooth infection. Instruments used for dental extractions date back several centuries. In the 14th century, Guy de Chauliac most probably invented the dental pelican[56] (resembling a pelican's beak) which was used to perform dental extractions up until the late 18th century. The pelican was replaced by the dental key[57] which, in turn, was replaced by modern forceps in the 19th century.[58]
The first book focused solely on dentistry was the "Artzney Buchlein" in 1530,[45] and the first dental textbook written in English was called "Operator for the Teeth" by Charles Allen in 1685.[21]
In the United Kingdom, there was no formal qualification for the providers of dental treatment until 1859 and it was only in 1921 that the practice of dentistry was limited to those who were professionally qualified. The Royal Commission on the National Health Service in 1979 reported that there were then more than twice as many registered dentists per 10,000 population in the UK than there were in 1921.[59]
It was between 1650 and 1800 that the science of modern dentistry developed. The English physician Thomas Browne in his A Letter to a Friend (c. 1656 pub. 1690) made an early dental observation with characteristic humour:
The Egyptian Mummies that I have seen, have had their Mouths open, and somewhat gaping, which affordeth a good opportunity to view and observe their Teeth, wherein 'tis not easie to find any wanting or decayed: and therefore in Egypt, where one Man practised but one Operation, or the Diseases but of single Parts, it must needs be a barren Profession to confine unto that of drawing of Teeth, and little better than to have been Tooth-drawer unto King Pyrrhus, who had but two in his Head.
The French surgeon Pierre Fauchard became known as the "father of modern dentistry". Despite the limitations of the primitive surgical instruments during the late 17th and early 18th century, Fauchard was a highly skilled surgeon who made remarkable improvisations of dental instruments, often adapting tools from watchmakers, jewelers and even barbers, that he thought could be used in dentistry. He introduced dental fillings as treatment for dental cavities. He asserted that sugar-derived acids like tartaric acid were responsible for dental decay, and also suggested that tumors surrounding the teeth and in the gums could appear in the later stages of tooth decay.[60][61]
Fauchard was the pioneer of dental prosthesis, and he invented many methods to replace lost teeth. He suggested that substitutes could be made from carved blocks of ivory or bone. He also introduced dental braces, although they were initially made of gold, he discovered that the teeth position could be corrected as the teeth would follow the pattern of the wires. Waxed linen or silk threads were usually employed to fasten the braces. His contributions to the world of dental science consist primarily of his 1728 publication Le chirurgien dentiste or The Surgeon Dentist. The French text included "basic oral anatomy and function, dental construction, and various operative and restorative techniques, and effectively separated dentistry from the wider category of surgery".[60][61]
After Fauchard, the study of dentistry rapidly expanded. Two important books, Natural History of Human Teeth (1771) and Practical Treatise on the Diseases of the Teeth (1778), were published by British surgeon John Hunter. In 1763, he entered into a period of collaboration with the London-based dentist James Spence. He began to theorise about the possibility of tooth transplants from one person to another. He realised that the chances of a successful tooth transplant (initially, at least) would be improved if the donor tooth was as fresh as possible and was matched for size with the recipient. These principles are still used in the transplantation of internal organs. Hunter conducted a series of pioneering operations, in which he attempted a tooth transplant. Although the donated teeth never properly bonded with the recipients' gums, one of Hunter's patients stated that he had three which lasted for six years, a remarkable achievement for the period.[62]
Major advances in science were made in the 19th century, and dentistry evolved from a trade to a profession. The profession came under government regulation by the end of the 19th century. In the UK, the Dentist Act was passed in 1878 and the British Dental Association formed in 1879. In the same year, Francis Brodie Imlach was the first ever dentist to be elected President of the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh), raising dentistry onto a par with clinical surgery for the first time.[63]
Long term occupational noise exposure can contribute to permanent hearing loss, which is referred to as noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and tinnitus. Noise exposure can cause excessive stimulation of the hearing mechanism, which damages the delicate structures of the inner ear.[64] NIHL can occur when an individual is exposed to sound levels above 90 dBA according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Regulations state that the permissible noise exposure levels for individuals is 90 dBA.[65] For the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), exposure limits are set to 85 dBA. Exposures below 85 dBA are not considered to be hazardous. Time limits are placed on how long an individual can stay in an environment above 85 dBA before it causes hearing loss. OSHA places that limitation at 8 hours for 85 dBA. The exposure time becomes shorter as the dBA level increases.
Within the field of dentistry, a variety of cleaning tools are used including piezoelectric and sonic scalers, and ultrasonic scalers and cleaners.[66] While a majority of the tools do not exceed 75 dBA,[67] prolonged exposure over many years can lead to hearing loss or complaints of tinnitus.[68] Few dentists have reported using personal hearing protective devices,[69][70] which could offset any potential hearing loss or tinnitus.
There are various chemical hazards from disinfection and dental materials, that lead to allergens from compounds like mercury, methacrylate, and nickel.[71][72][73]
Chemical disinfectants are necessary in a dental practice to prevent infection and contamination between patients. As a consequence, it introduces many chemical and occupational hazards. The most commonly used active ingredients in disinfection include alcohol, ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA) solution, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, and glutaraldehyde.[74] In terms of surface-disinfection, workers are especially exposed to agents like aldehydes and quaternary-ammonium compounds via inhalation or physical contact.[75] This may result in allergies, due to lack of adequate ventilation and prolonged exposure. Research shows that around 10.9% of dental professionals may test positive for an allergic reaction to glutaraldehyde, compared to 2% in non-dental control subjects.[76] Additionally, frequent use of disinfectants may result in more respiratory symptoms in dental workers as well as worsened asthma control.[77]
It is essential to implement controls within dental clinics to reduce occupational exposure to these chemical hazards from disinfectants. In terms of engineering, using alternative and less sensitive chemicals as well as maintaining proper ventilation systems within the clinic will help reduce the amount of airborne chemicals. Having a safety data sheet, regular training on chemical safety, appropriate response equipment, and conducting assessments of workplace safety are all recommended administrative controls to minimize exposure.[78] Wearing full personal protective equipment reduces the occurrence of symptoms like burning sensation in eyes, dry cough, skin dermatitis, and respiratory irritation to chemical disinfectants.[79] Therefore, it is vital as a last form of defense that dental professionals wear gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection when using disinfectant.[80] The application of these engineering techniques, administrative protocols, and personal protection are standard industrial hygiene practices to keep dental professionals safe while keeping the work environment clean.
Elemental mercury makes up approximately 50% of conventional dental amalgam and can release toxic vapor during both placement and removal procedures.[81] Dental amalgam is a restorative material used for filling cavities caused by tooth decay. It is composed of a mixture of metals, approximately 50% of which is elemental mercury (Hg⁰) combined with an alloy powder containing silver, tin, copper, and other trace metals.[81] Mercury serves as a binding agent amalgamates the alloy particles into a durable, moldable mass. Prolonged or repeated exposure to these vapors has been associated with adverse effects on the nervous system and kidneys. Chronic exposure to mercury vapor has been associated with neurological, renal, and immunological effects, as mercury has a high affinity for nervous tissue and the kidneys. Symptoms of overexposure may include tremors, memory impairment, fatigue, and mood changes.[82][83]
Methyl methacrylate is an acrylic resin used in restorative and prosthetic dentistry, especially in dentures, temporary crowns, and retainers. Exposure can occur by inhalation of vapors through grinding or polymerization during dental procedures or by skin contact with uncured materials.[84] Short-term exposure can lead to eye, skin, and respiratory irritation, and long-term exposure can cause occupational asthma or allergic contact dermatitis.[85] One cross-sectional study discovered that dental assistants with high exposure to methacrylate vapors had increased odds of asthma and nasal issues.[86] This study emphasizes the importance of understanding that methacrylate is a respiratory and dermal hazard in dentistry.[87]
Prevention measures to reduce exposure to methacrylate include local exhaust ventilation to capture aerosols, consistent air sampling, covered mixing systems, and proper personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves.[88] The US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends keeping methyl methacrylate concentrations below the recommended exposure limit of 100 ppm for an 8-hour time-weighted average.[89] Implementing safety measures to protect dental staff from hazards can be achieved by ventilation improvements and proper personal protective equipment to prevent them from respiratory irritation, asthma, and allergic contact dermatitis.
Nickel exposure in dentistry can primarily occur through the use of nickel-containing alloys like crowns, bridges, brackets, and orthodontic appliances.[90] However, according to recent studies, in people who are not sensitive to nickel, dental alloys release levels that are typically less harmful and regarded as biologically safe.[91]
There is a movement in modern dentistry to place a greater emphasis on high-quality scientific evidence in decision-making. Evidence-based dentistry uses current scientific evidence to guide decisions. It is an approach to oral health that requires the application and examination of relevant scientific data related to the patient's oral and medical health. Along with the dentist's professional skill and expertise, evidence-based dentistry allows dentists to stay up to date on procedures for patients to receive improved treatment. A new paradigm for medical education designed to incorporate current research into education and practice was developed to help practitioners provide the best care for their patients.[92] It was first introduced by Gordon Guyatt and the Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada in the 1990s. It is part of the larger movement toward evidence-based medicine and other evidence-based practices, especially since a major part of dentistry involves dealing with oral and systemic diseases. Other issues relevant to the dental field in terms of evidence-based research and evidence-based practice include population oral health, dental clinical practice, tooth morphology etc.
Like other medical disciplines, dentistry is strongly influenced by the digital transformation of healthcare. Processes are changing fundamentally, affecting the effectiveness and accuracy of patient treatment.[93][94]
Various technologies are being used in dentistry, including computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) systems in combination with 3D printing, artificial intelligence (AI), and electronic health records.[95][96] The degree of implementation of such technologies varies significantly across dental practices.[97]
Research shows that larger dental centers are adopting digital solutions more rapidly. Younger dentists, as well as those who regularly participate in digital training programs, show a higher willingness to implement new technologies. However, financial constraints and the lack of comprehensive training opportunities for the digitalization of dentistry currently represent major barriers to implementation.[98]
Dentistry is unique in that it requires dental students to have competence-based clinical skills that can only be acquired through supervised specialized laboratory training and direct patient care.[99] This necessitates the need for a scientific and professional basis of care with a foundation of extensive research-based education.[100] According to some experts, the accreditation of dental schools can enhance the quality and professionalism of dental education.[101][102]
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