Why I Love Rural Health
As a Registered Dental Hygienist living in rural communities for nearly 40 years, I love working in this environment. There is just something so special about small town communities! I grew up on a farm in Northwest Kansas then moved to Kansas City to attend dental hygiene school following high school graduation.
This was a huge change for me and I remember thinking, why does no one wave or make eye contact with me here? There was no question I was going to move back to a rural community when I finished college. Following my first job as a dental hygienist in Colby, Kansas, I moved to Cozad, Nebraska and have been working with people in Dawson County for nearly thirty years.
I recently have become trained in Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, this is the study of working with the muscles of the head and neck, evaluating proper function and position. In this study I follow the premise that Form follows Function, and if the muscles of the tongue and Oropharynx are not working properly this can cause changes to the way our faces develop.
Dentistry has developed a focus on airway health in the last 15 years and Myofunctional Therapy can be a large part of this focus. Helping patients learn how to position their tongue for better chewing and swallowing, food removal when eating, and promoting nasal breathing for better overall health is the goal for all my patients.
Continuing to learn and build on the knowledge I have developed throughout my career has kept me passionate about dental health. I went back to college and graduated with my BSDH from the University of Missouri Kansas City in 2020, then got my Certification in Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy in 2022.
Having the opportunity to learn with access to courses and continuing education through the internet has been a game changer for me. It has kept my heart in dentistry. Going to meetings and being involved with the Nebraska Dental Hygienists Association and the Nebraska Rural Health Association has extended my circle of health care colleagues and the collaborations that brings is priceless. Providing this information to the people here in rural Nebraska brings me great pleasure and better health for rural Nebraskans.
Working with people to create better health outcomes has been the goal of my career. I have always been a lifelong learner and feel that providing the most current, validated services for the people who come to see me is my responsibility. I want people to feel that even though they do not live in a large city, they are still getting the best dental care available.
When I get to see the children of people who came to me for their first dental visit, I can’t help but feel like I’m getting old. However, I also consider it such an honor that they’re entrusting me with their child and to help provide preventive dental care and information to the parent that will help their child grow and develop with the fewest possible dental problems. The people in Cozad and the surrounding area are like extended family to me and that is why I want to provide the best care for them and why I LOVE Rural Health!
Julie Niles
Registered Dental Hygienist
Ide Family Dentistry
Cozad, NE