Introduction
The South Pacific Medical Team (SPMT),
a voluntary group organised by Japanesedentists and dental hygienists, has worked
to improve oral health in Kingdom of Tonga(Tonga) since 1998. Our team have also
supported for special needs people in two
institutions or the special class at a primaryschool in Tongatapu Island since 2005. The
program for the special needs has beenpromoted by the Tongan dental team fromdental office of the Ministry of Health.

Where is Tonga?
The Kingdom of Tonga is part of Polynesia
in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of170 islands divided into five main islandgroups: the Tongatapu Islands, including thecapital city; the Ha’apai Islands; the Vava’uIslands; the Niua Islands; and the ‘Eua
Islands. These islands are distributed
across an area of 600 km north to south and200 km east to west. In 1998, the populationof Tonga was about 100,000.

Subjects and facilities
Tonga Red Cross Society
The Ofa Tui Amanaki Centre(OTA) was established in 1968,
and continues to have 3 major
programs such as education,home visitation and earlyintervention program.

ALONGA CENTRE
The ALONGA for adult disabled people wasestablished in 1977.

The special class at Negele’la primaryschool in Tongatapu
The class has started
in 2004 for primaryschool kids with specialneeds.

 Care unit in the paediatric ward
at the Viola’s
hospital
Babis with cleft lip and palate

Activities＜2005～2007＞
Japanese staff (SPMT) had decided almost theschedule of voluntary activities.
3. Donations:
 toothbrushes and other necessities4. (Re) habilitations
 of eatingetc.
1. Oral check and education

2. Work shop for staffs＜2009～＞

1. Oral check and oral education:
Tongan staffs offered oral education forthe participants, their parents and staff
of facilities, Japanese were advisers forthem.
2. Donations:
We held the oral festival in a flea market on weekend.
We got money from a flea market.

enough money!!
・free oral check・free oral consultation
・free fluoride mouth rinsing
・Information about our activities
・Sale of handicrafts and clothes

＜2008＞We changed our previous ideas. We spent day timein the institutions and had much time to discuss withcare staffs, and the dental team for finding out theirreal needs.
←Dancing time←Language exchange←They didn’t know thatthey should use toothbrush for each, so we
donated toothbrush
written name.
Good relationship built trust♪

2-1. We got fluoride toothpastes whichwere enough to use for a year in
OTA and ALONGA.
2-2. We made boxes for each toothbrush by materials bought in Tonga.

3. Work shop for public nurses, participants and staffs
of facilities.
We made slides ofpresentation together, Tongan
staffs offereda presentation for themby Tongan language.

＜2011～＞

1. Oral examination and oral education:

 All participants could accept examination.

2. Prevention for oral disease and dysfunction
3. Personnel training
3-1 Preparation for donation

3-2 Making education materials
and questionnaires etc.

4 .Media; TV, news paper, radio

4.Distributing questionnaire survey about oral
health and our activities
How many times do you
brush your teeth a day?

Do you know how tobrush your teeth?

Do you have own
toothbrush?

no answer nothing 5%

85% Yes!!
3 times
15%

twice
57%

once20%Do you like brush
your teeth?
100% Yes!!

97% Yes!!
Do you enjoy
our program?
100% Yes!!
n=60

How about our activities? （no.）
・very happy （14）・very happy to cange new toothbrush（3）・very happy to brush my tooth（2）・very happy to give toothpaste（2）5. Education about oral health using drawing
We got enough money from free market, so webought notebooks.

＜2011～＞
Home visiting for dependent people at homesexagedisorder

bedridden

M
6CP, MRnoM
6CP, MR
noF
22
CP
yes
M
23
CP, MR
yes
F23
CPyes
F28
CP, MRyes
M many30
CP do you yesHowtimesM
40
CP, MRbrush
your teetha day? yesM48
CP, MRyes

How many times do you
brush your teeth a day?
once aweek
34%
twice
10%

nothing
22%
once
34%
n=9

dental caries(no.)

C2
3
1
4
10
2
200

C3/C4
4
4
7
10
3
000

periodontitis

calculus

dysphagia+++++++++++++++++++++++
+++
++

++++

Do you know how tobrush your teeth?
56% Yes!!

Have you ever bought
toothbrush or toothpaste?
100% Never!!

Do you haveown toothbrush?

Do you enjoy
our program?

100% No!!

100% Yes!!

Conclusion

We have the relationship of mutual trust and good cooperation with them by longterm activities. We hope this program is performed by self-reliance among Tonganpeople.