Personal Experience Leads to Professional Impact for This Grant Recipient
Inspired by her son’s journey with hearing loss, Kimberly Lintag-Nguyen, EdD, MSDH, RDH, is leading groundbreaking research to identify and eliminate communication barriers faced by deaf and hard-of-hearing patients in dental settings.
For Kimberly Lintag-Nguyen, EdD, MSDH, RDH, improving communication access in dental care is more than a research interest, it is deeply personal. Lintag-Nguyen, a member of Dimensions of Dental Hygiene’s Editorial Advisory Board and assistant professor, academic coordinator, and senior clinic coordinator in the Dental Hygiene Program at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Dentistry, has received a Thriving Communities Research Pilot Grant to investigate communication access for deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HoH) patients in dental settings. The project, conducted with VCU colleague Dina T. Garcia, PhD, MPH, MEd, PNAP, aims to identify barriers to equitable care and develop community-driven solutions that improve the dental experience for patients with hearing loss.
The inspiration behind the research comes from her son, Ollie. Ollie was born with bilateral microtia, the absence of the outer ear structures, and bilateral aural atresia, the absence of ear canals. As a result, he has maximum conductive hearing loss and cannot hear speech without hearing aids. He relies on hearing technology, American Sign Language (ASL), and visual communication strategies to navigate the world.
As both a mother and oral health professional, Lintag-Nguyen has witnessed firsthand the challenges that communication barriers can create in healthcare environments.
Her newly funded research seeks to address those challenges by partnering with the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and a Community Advisory Board composed of D/HoH individuals, caregivers, and oral health professionals. Together, they will conduct a comprehensive needs assessment focused on communication access in dental care.
The study will explore the experiences of D/HoH patients and caregivers while also surveying oral health professionals about their training, communication practices, familiarity with accessibility requirements, and perceived barriers to providing care.
The need for such research is significant. Studies have shown that D/HoH individuals experience higher rates of unmet dental needs and poorer oral health outcomes than hearing populations. At the same time, many oral health professionals report limited education and training related to communicating effectively with patients who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Through surveys, interviews, and community engagement, the research team hopes to identify priorities defined by the D/HoH community itself. The findings will help guide future interventions designed to improve communication equity in oral healthcare settings.
The long-term vision extends beyond a single study. Lintag-Nguyen and her collaborators plan to use the results to support future grant funding and develop educational resources for oral health professionals, including training modules and ASL-related materials that can help clinicians provide more accessible, patient-centered care. Click here to read more.
