Esther Kim Le, DA, BSDH, RDHAP
25+ Years of Experience l Community Leadership
Esther Kim Le, DA, BSDH, RDHAP, brings more than 24 years of experience in dental field, community-based care, oral health education, and leadership. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene from New York University College of Dentistry and completed advanced education through the Program in Oral Health for People with Special Needs at the University of the Pacific, Pacific Center for Special Care. She is a California Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice (RDHAP).
Esther has advanced training and licensure in areas including dental anesthetics, soft tissue curettage, the Virtual Dental Home model, interim therapeutic restorations, and radiographic decision-making. She provides compassionate care to patients of all ages, including children, adults, seniors, homebound individuals, and patients with special healthcare needs.
Before founding Smile of Hope Dental Hygiene Practice, Esther served in leadership roles focused on prevention, community outreach, access to care, and health equity, including Director of Field Operations for a nonprofit pediatric dental organization and Director of Outreach and School-Based Programs at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). She led multidisciplinary teams providing care in schools, community sites, pediatric medical clinics, and other non-traditional settings.
Her work has incorporated mobile dentistry, teledentistry, telehealth, school-based programs, and medical-dental integration, helping expand access to dental services for thousands of children and families who faced barriers to traditional care.
Esther is passionate about helping patients overcome dental anxiety and other barriers to care through compassion, patience, education, and personalized treatment. She collaborates with dentists, physicians, specialists, caregivers, families, and community partners to support continuity of care and connect patients with additional services when needed.
Through Smile of Hope Dental Hygiene, Esther is committed to bringing accessible, compassionate, and professional dental hygiene care beyond the traditional dental office—wherever patients are most comfortable receiving care.
Maria Rojas
Front Office Adminstrator
Maria is the friendly voice and welcoming presence behind Smile of Hope Dental Hygiene Practice. As our Front Office Administrator, she helps ensure every patient has a seamless experience by coordinating appointments, verifying insurance benefits, managing patient records, processing billing, and answering questions before and after each visit.With a genuine passion for helping others, Maria is committed to providing compassionate, personalized service to every patient and family she assists. She plays an important role in supporting our Virtual Dental Home (VDH) model by helping coordinate patient referrals, facilitating communication between patients, caregivers, and collaborating dentists, and assisting patients in establishing a dental home for restorative treatment.
COLLABORATION WITH DENTAL PROVIDERS
We work closely with your existing medical and dental providers to support continuity of care. Smile of Hope Dental Hygiene Practice also collaborates with trusted dental specialists who share our commitment to serving communities with limited access to care through compassion and excellence. When services are outside the RDHAP scope of practice, we collaborate with or refer to dental providers and community partners using a community health model similar to FQHC programs, ensuring patients have access to appropriate restorative and comprehensive treatment.
Dr. Ho Hoang Viet, DDS
Medical & Dental Advisor
Dr. Ho Hoang Viet received his medical education in Virginia at the Medical College of Virginia prior to attending the University of Southern California School of Dentistry on a U.S. Army scholarship. He has extensive training and experience across both medicine and dentistry, with a background in surgical care, trauma management, and comprehensive dental services.Throughout his career, Dr. Viet has served in a variety of clinical and high-acuity environments, including trauma and surgical care settings, implant dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, emergency military dentistry, and international humanitarian pediatric dental programs. His military service includes providing emergency dental care in challenging field environments. Dr. Viet brings a broad and unique clinical perspective to patient care, combining medical and dental knowledge to manage complex cases and provide comprehensive treatment planning. He is known for his compassionate approach and commitment to treating each patient with respect, dignity, and individualized care.Dr. Viet provides a range of dental services to patients requiring advanced clinical expertise and complex care management.
Dr. Minh Tri Nguyen, DDS
General Dentist
Dr. Minh Tri Nguyen received his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from Temple University School of Dentistry and has been in private practice for over 10 years. He provides comprehensive dental care to patients in Orange County, with extensive experience in family and cosmetic dentistry. Dr. Nguyen is committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care in a comfortable and modern clinical environment. He focuses on creating long-term patient relationships and helping individuals achieve healthy, confident smiles. He had also served in both nonprofit and private practice settings, providing restorative care, treatment planning, oral health education, and patient-centered dental services for adult and pediatric patients.