Midwestern University Students in Tonga

November 2014, Midwestern University Dental Students

Midwestern University – AZ AOLDS student chapter returned from a 2 week service trip to Tonga. This marks Midwestern’s 4th annual trip to Tonga. This year, they saw approximately 1,000 patients, or 1% of the entire population of Tonga. Treatment provided included 100 flippers, 80 root canals, 600 extractions, and 1000 fillings. Steve Call, Junius Gibbons, Christine Halket, Larry Johns, Tom Tipton, and Brad Smith were among the doctors that supervised the group of students in their service effort. Elder and Sister Beckstrand from Fillmore, Utah should also be thanked for their ongoing service in the Tonga Dental Clinic.

One student, Preston Adams, was kind enough to share his experience with us:

“Going to Tonga was, for me, a life-changing experience. The joy I felt helping the people there is indescribable. It has been said that the people of Tonga are “the friendly island people,” and I can one hundred percent agree. To see the smiles of gratitude on their faces after delivering their flipper or performing the necessary dental treatment they needed is priceless. Not only being able to do several dental procedures but, being able to experience the culture, the environment and the surroundings of Tonga was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I would go back in a heartbeat, and I want to go back someday to continue giving service to these wonderful, humble people. I would encourage anyone to go on this trip or a trip similar to this, where you give of yourself and provide the skills you have, for the benefit of others.”