How Dental Teams Can Close the Gap in Transgender Oral Health

Sam Vest, RDH, BS, MS, is an adjunct assistant professor in the Gene W. Hirschfeld School of Dental Hygiene at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Their research focuses on patient management of diverse populations, which encompasses women’s oral health, hormones, and LGBTQ+ population, as well as forensic odontology. Vest has presented their research at national and international conferences as well as provided continuing education courses across the United States. They have also received extramural funding and won national and international awards for their research. Vest can be reached at svest@odu.edu.

Jessica Suedbeck, RDH, BS, MSDH, PhD(c), is an assistant professor, senior clinic coordinator, and director of clinical innovation and education in the Gene W. Hirschfeld School of Dental Hygiene at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Her research focuses on workplace safety for the dental hygienist, which encompasses occupational hazards such as ergonomic practices, hearing loss, and mental health hazards such as burnout and implicit bias. Suedbeck uses a multidisciplinary approach working interprofessionally with audiologists, kinesiologists, and public health practitioners and is a frequent contributor to top-tier journals. She has received funding for research both intramurally and extramurally as well as presented at national and international conferences. Suedbeck is also a member of Dimensions of Dental Hygiene’s Peer Review Panel.