Is it permissible for a crematory to remove gold teeth or body parts from a deceased individual?

In the context of Iowa funeral law, the removal of gold teeth or body parts from a deceased individual by a crematory is not permissible. This practice raises ethical and legal concerns, particularly regarding the respect for the deceased and the rights of the family members.

Crematories are generally expected to treat the remains of the deceased with dignity and to follow established protocols that protect the integrity of the body throughout the cremation process. The process of cremation itself is specifically designed to convert the body to ash, and any removal of parts prior to this process is not standard practice and is often viewed as a violation of the deceased's rights as well as family expectations.

Additionally, laws surrounding death care services and cremation emphasize the importance of consent and respect for the integrity of human remains. While there are legal allowances for certain practices in specific circumstances (for example, medical examiners may remove body parts for autopsy), those do not apply in the context of a crematory's operations relating to cremation. Thus, the core principle here is that any removal is not allowed unless explicitly articulated in the law, which is not the case for general crematory practice in Iowa.