Patricia Brinkman-Falter, BSDH, RDH, MS, PHRDH, COM, FADHA

Heart to Hands Self-Nomination Patricia Brinkman-Falter, BSDH, RDH, MS, PHRDH, COM, FADHA

What I love about dental hygiene is that there is always another opportunity to make a difference. After more than four decades in this profession, I am still learning, still asking questions, and still finding ways to use what I know to help patients and colleagues. Over the years, my understanding of patient care has continued to grow. Clinical skills matter, but so does caring and paying attention to the person in the chair: listening to concerns, noticing patterns, and being willing to investigate something that does not quite make sense. That curiosity eventually led me to orofacial myofunctional therapy and changed the direction of my career. Some of my opportunities to teach took me into schools during Dental Health Month as Trisha Toothfairy. I wore a pink sparkly dress, a small tiara, and wings, with my toothfairy bag and wand in hand! My bag held a toothbrush, “cavity bugs,” gold ribbon floss, and a large coin. The children took turns brushing the cavity bugs off the oversized teeth and using the gold ribbon to practice flossing. It was a playful way to help them learn how to care for their teeth—and share my love of dental hygiene. I began my myofunctional training in 2008 and became Nebraska’s first orofacial myologist. Through my practice, Nebraska Myofunctional Specialties, I help patients address oral muscle function and habits. This work encouraged me to look more closely at how breathing, oral rest posture, swallowing, and orofacial development relate to the concerns patients bring into a dental office. It also strengthened my appreciation for collaboration and for knowing when another professional’s expertise is needed. My learning has also been guided by requests from colleagues. When two orthodontists asked me to learn craniosacral therapy to help with their expansion cases, I pursued that training. I have since found it especially valuable in my work with patients experiencing temporomandibular joint concerns. That experience reflects what continues to draw me to dental hygiene: listening to patients and colleagues, asking questions, and continuing to learn as their needs guide me. I have also taken physical therapy courses to better understand the relationship between posture and occlusion. My patients and colleagues continue to give me reasons to learn. As my work grew, I recognized that access to care depended partly on whether dental hygienists had a clear path to provide myofunctional therapy. I spent 18 months working alone to have it recognized within Nebraska’s dental hygiene scope of practice. That effort contributed to the Nebraska Board of Dentistry’s 2012 decision, and I continued advocating as the issue was revisited in 2024.

For me, that work had a practical purpose: helping patients receive care and helping hygienists use their education and training more fully. Persistence meant staying engaged through questions, uncertainty, and a process that took time. It was work I believed needed to be done. My commitment also extended to the national level, where I helped lead the American Dental Hygienists’ Association’s 2020 myofunctional therapy policy update. Service through the Nebraska Dental Hygienists’ Association, including as president and delegate, gave me additional opportunities to advocate for our profession and learn from colleagues who shared that commitment. I have also served as a clinical board examiner in both dental hygiene and myofunctional therapy, contributing to the evaluation of clinicians entering these fields. For approximately 15 years, I have taught continuing education courses exploring connections among oral health, function, breathing, growth, and patient concerns. For the past 10 years, I have also presented annually to dental hygiene students and dental residents about myofunctional therapy. I use case studies, humor, and memorable examples to help learners understand and apply what they learn. Their questions and feedback keep me learning, too. I especially enjoy hearing participants’ feedback. Their questions and observations remind me that education is an exchange. I may be presenting the course, but I am also learning from the experiences of the people in the room. Helping another hygienist recognize a new possibility in patient care allows the impact of our work to reach beyond our own practices. Mentorship has shaped my own journey. Dr. Herb Blumenthal encouraged my learning and helped deepen my understanding of temporomandibular disorders. His guidance reinforced the value of sharing knowledge and making room for someone else to grow. I carry that lesson into my teaching and professional service. In 2016, surgery involving my thumb and index finger brought my full-time clinical dental hygiene career to a close. Myofunctional therapy, education, and advocacy allowed me to continue serving in ways that drew on decades of clinical experience. The form of my work changed, while my connection to dental hygiene remained strong. What continues to motivate me, however, is the opportunity to make a difference: to listen carefully, explain something clearly, pursue a question, or help a colleague take the next step. I am nominating myself for the Philips Heart to Hands Award because my career reflects a sustained commitment to patients and to the profession that has given me so much. What makes me love dental hygiene is knowing that our knowledge, compassion, and willingness to keep learning can make a meaningful difference—one patient, one colleague, and one opportunity at a time.