Most people think of Micronesia as a tropical paradise—if they think of it at all. Mere specks of land, the 2,200 islands are sprinkled near the equator in a wavy line the length of the continental U.S. from east to west. The area occupies a million square miles of the Western Pacific Ocean, but has only 700 square miles of dry land. About 100 islands are inhabited.
Although adorned by pristine beaches and turquoise bays, most islands have no cars, gasoline, or electricity. Many islanders have no way to relieve a toothache; they have never seen a dentist in their entire lives.
Last summer, a group of 18 set out to improve dental health in paradise. In addition to doctors, dentists and students preparing for medical careers, family and church members joined the project as support staff. Eddie Dopp, pastor of the Oceanside church, and Scott Krause, assistant pastor, coordinated the mission trip.
“We take a lot of stuff—our own light-weight dental chairs, supplies, equipment, air compressors to run dental tools, and generators to make our own electricity,” explains Dopp. “The support staff keeps busy.” Dopp once served as a pastor in Micronesia and has been organizing mission trips there, and elsewhere, ever since.
After a stopover in Hawaii, the group flew to Pohnpei, state and federal capital for the Federated States of Micronesia, and set up their first open-air clinic on the grounds of the Adventist school. From there, they boarded a 110-foot government patrol boat, their floating home for the week to come.
Small taxi boats met them offshore near the atoll of Sapwuafic. After transferring their gear to land, the group spent two days among the island’s 300 adults and 200 children. Tooth deterioration was rampant due to poor diet and no oral hygiene. The team found it heart-breaking to discover a 7-year-old child with every tooth in his mouth decayed.
Traveling by night, the group reached the atoll of Nukuoro and spent two more days in clinic. Sailing south toward Kapingamarangi, an island just one degree above the equator, they entered the outer flanks of a heavy storm that had just hit Japan. Encountering 35 to 50-foot swells, the captain turned the ship back to Pohnpei. Weary but thankful to be safely ashore again, the group found more needy people in nearby villages.
In all, the six doctors treated nearly 600 patients and did nearly 3,000 extractions—an average of five per person. In one case, a person lost 17 teeth. Eager to help people reduce dental problems in the future, group members conducted classes on health and dental hygiene.
“People were very, very grateful for this medical help,” said Ronaldo Fritz, dentist and mission group member from Escondido. “And we felt we were doing the work of the Master. We were blessed by serving, giving and doing our best.”
