OUR STORY
OUR MISSION
To promote the dental and medical health of the people of the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji through prevention, education and restoration.
OUR STORY
The Fiji Dental and Medical Foundation (Fiji DMF) was created in 2013 to provide dental and medical services to the people of the Mamanuca Island chain in Fiji. As frequent visitors to Fiji, the founders of Fiji DMF became familiar with the beauty of the islands and the warm, welcoming nature of the people.
Driven by a determination to give back in a meaningful way, and cognizant that even routine medical care is an area of need, Fiji DMF was born.
The Fiji DMF travels to Fiji annually, bringing approximately 30 volunteers – doctors, dentists and other medical professionals – to host a week-long mobile clinic on the Island of Malolo. The foundation brings in all necessary equipment and medicine to deliver basic care to the adults and children of the local villages and surrounding islands. The goals of the clinic are to reduce infection and pain through dental treatment, such as extractions and restorations, as well as to implement a preventative care program by providing education around nutrition and dental hygiene. During each week-long clinic, over 500 patients are typically seen by our team, with the following services provided:
Dental Services
Dental Examinations
Oral Hygiene Education
Oral Cancer Screening
Infection Control
Extractions
Restorations
Removable partial dentures
Medical Services
Physical Examinations
Diabetes Screening
Blood-Pressure Screening
Vision Screening
Education
BY THE NUMBERS
Spring 2023 trip:
More than 600 patients seen, each receiving a basic dental and medical exam
444 extractions
201 fillings
277 fluoride treatments
60 patients provided removable partial dentures
HISTORY
In the late 1970s, processed sugar was introduced to the nation of Fiji. Unfortunately, very little effort was made to prevent or treat the negative effects brought on by this addition to the Fijian diet. This resulted in widespread dental decay and other associated dental and medical problems in the local population.
According to a Ministry of Health and Medical Services Oral Health Survey in 2004, 88% of the Fijian children show evidence of decay in their primary teeth. These issues of poor oral health and knowledge have persisted, especially in the remote island villages, where health services located in the major cities can be difficult to reach and travel expensive.
