Cabrillo College has corrected all but one of the eight violations uncovered by state regulators earlier this year with its dental hygiene program. However, the school will remain on a three-year probation and will pay a fine, according to a Lookout Santa Cruz article published on July 10.
The Dental Hygiene Board of California found that Cabrillo College resolved seven of the eight violations it identified in a February 2026 unannounced visit to the college. Furthermore, Cabrillo College hygiene students met their requirements to graduate, according to the article.
The board placed Cabrillo College's dental hygiene program on three years of probation and ordered it to pay a $5,000 fine after an unannounced February site visit uncovered violations, including inadequate clinic supervision and students falling behind on required clinical hours.
The board's investigation, prompted by a complaint from a former adjunct instructor, identified seven additional issues, including students advancing to new courses with incomplete grades and a program director with limited authority to run the program.
Cabrillo College has since hired a second full-time faculty member. In a July 2 news release, Cabrillo College President Jenn Capps said the college "took the board's concerns seriously, acted quickly to address every identified concern, and strengthened our program in meaningful ways."
The program's 2026 cohort graduated on schedule, and all students met their requirements to do so, according to the college.
