Cerritos College’s dental hygiene students took home the top prize in the Student Poster Competition at the California Dental Hygienists’ Association’s 2024 Spring Scientific Session on May 17.
Students Mckenzie Hidalgo and April Nuno won first place in the Informational Poster Division with their research poster, “My Neck, My Back, I’m About to Crack.” The poster examined the role of ergonomics in mitigating musculoskeletal disorders among dental hygienists.
The annual poster competition provides a platform for dental hygiene students to present research and information on an area of dental hygiene that is significant to themselves, their patients, and their peers.
“We are proud of the hard work and team spirit that these students displayed in representing our dental hygiene program,” said Dr. Elizabeth Riley, dean of health occupations at Cerritos College.
Cerritos College has offered an Associate of Science degree in Dental Hygiene for 50 years, earning a reputation for excellence and academic rigor as students boast a 100 percent passage rate on state exams in recent years. The college is gearing up to launch a new dental hygiene bachelor’s degree program beginning in fall 2025, enabling students to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene by completing nine additional units beyond the associate program. In 2018, the Dental Hygiene program was awarded the California Community Colleges’ Strong Workforce Gold Star recognition for advancing its students’ social and economic mobility as they graduate and earn a higher income. The program also received the 2024 Excellence Award from the League for Innovation in the Community College for the development of the Bachelor of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene.
