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Competing against students from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, Mount Ida College, Quinsigamond Community College and MCPHS University/Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene, Christen Cavanaugh and Tiana Thomas (Dental Hygiene, ’17), have been named the winners in the Hygiene Category of the Yankee Dental Congress Poster Session. The competition was part of a four-day conference, held January 25-29 in Boston. 

Cavanaugh and Thomas were selected from eight finalist teams, four of which were from UNE. The 51Ʒ��finalists were:

• Regina Arey, Cassidy Banville, Carolyn Dacey, Sarah Fogg: “Silver Fluoride Bullet” (A presentation on Silver Diamine Fluoride.)
• Jenny Burns and Amanda MacIsaac: “Managing Periodontal Disease in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.”
• Melanie McNamara, Arianna Garland, Meghan Coursey: “Is Charcoal Just for your Barbecue?” (A presentation about the trend of use of activated charcoal in tooth whitening.)

Cavanaugh and Thomas presented their research on the prevalence of osteoarthritis in dental hygienists. They investigated three studies found to reduce the development of osteoarthritis: hand exercises, weekly massages and specialized assistance from occupational and physical therapists. Cavanaugh and Thomas found each therapy to be effective and recommend them to clinicians. In addition, they provided recommendations for dental hygienists, including minimizing the number of instrument strokes applied to tooth surfaces, implementing the use of hand-specific gloves, and utilizing specialized therapy in order to decrease the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis.

Reflecting on the experience, Thomas said, “While presenting our research, we received a lot of insight from members of the dental community and it was an honor to be able to communicate with so many well-known, highly educated individuals.”

Cavanaugh echoed these sentiments, saying:

This experience was truly one in a million. We got to educate dental professionals and learn from them about other aspects involving clinicians and developing osteoarthritis. One doctor even wants our poster research submitted to the state of Rhode Island dental board. I would like to thank Professor Courtney Vannah on all her hard work and dedication during the poster making process. If it weren't for her, Tiana and I would not have accomplished such an honor. 

To learn more about the Department of Dental Hygiene, visit www.une.edu/wchp/dental

To apply, visit www.une.edu/admissions