ISU receives $500K to update dental hygiene clinic

POCATELLO — Thanks to a donation from Delta Dental of Idaho, Idaho State University will be updating its teaching dental hygiene clinic.

The $500,000 ISU is receiving is part of donations amounting to nearly $2 million from Delta Dental of Idaho. That money will go to the university’s dental hygiene clinic, adding 15 new chairs and retrofitting the 10 already existing chairs with updated delivery systems and lights.

“It’s incredibly important to have well-trained hygienists entering the oral health care field and ISU’s 4-year program is exceptional,” Delta Dental of Idaho spokesman Dr. Kyle Seimen, DMD, said in a news release. “Their students receive a well-rounded education along with superior oral health training that Idahoans can trust. Those qualities and the fact that ISU’s oral health education perfectly aligns with Delta Dental of Idaho’s mission made supporting them with this donation an easy decision.”

Delta Dental of Idaho is a dental insurance provider based in Boise, servicing both employer and individual insurance needs. It is the Idaho-based wing of Delta Dental, which provides coverage to more than 78 million Americans.

“As one of the preeminent dental hygiene programs in the nation, we take seriously our commitment to outstanding student training,” ISU Health Sciences spokesman Rex Force said in the release. “The impact of the generous contribution from Delta Dental of Idaho allows us to enhance our training facilities and maintain excellence. Having state-of-the-art equipment not only allows students to learn in a real-world environment but also enhances our recruitment of the best and brightest students. With Delta Dental’s help, we are thrilled to be able to provide improved facilities that benefit the patients our students serve and ultimately improves the health of Idahoans.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Delta Dental of Idaho has worked to help protect not only its own employees but in-network throughout the state. In addition to its donation to ISU, Delta Dental of Idaho has committed $800,000 to relieve the costs of PPE, while also distributing an additional $500,000 to Idaho dentists over the summer.

With its donation, ISU will modernize clinic equipment, much of which was installed in 1981.