After a five-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the College of Dental Medicine – Arizona (CDMA) at Midwestern University has resumed its dental service trips. On November 14, 2024, a group consisting of ten fourth-year dental students, three faculty members, and an alumnus set off for Tonga, a Polynesian island, to provide much-needed dental care to its residents.
The team brought essential dental supplies, carefully packed in checked luggage, to help replenish local clinic stock and ensure they were equipped to serve the community. Upon arriving, the group quickly set up their clinic and met the friendly and dedicated volunteers on-site: Karen, an American Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH), and Heu and Ofa, local missionaries with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The clinic was organized into two main sections: four dental chairs set up in an open area for general treatments, and a smaller, enclosed space with two additional chairs designated for endodontic (root canal) procedures. The team also brought materials to fabricate replacement partial dentures for patients in need.
Every weekday, the team began their day with a stop at the bakery for breakfast before heading to the clinic. After setting up instruments and preparing the space, patients were treated on a first-come, first-served basis. As the days went on, appointments were scheduled for root canal treatments to streamline the process. Those in need of extractions were also scheduled to return later in the week for prosthetic replacements, such as flippers or partial dentures.
Throughout the trip, the team saw a wide range of patients—whole families, from grandparents to young children, some as young as four years old. Over the course of 14 days, the team performed more than 400 procedures, seeing around 50 patients each day.
Patients were not only kind but also extremely appreciative. While most spoke English, those who didn’t often brought a family member to translate. A cultural norm was for patients to remove their shoes before sitting in the dental chair. Many patients expressed their gratitude by gifting the team small tokens of appreciation.
