Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Capt. Jeremy Matis, left, and Royal Australian air force Cpl. Terri-Anne Dehncke  perform an extraction July 22, 2014, in Neiafu, Tonga. The dental clinic was set up in a local college for the Pacific Angel-Tonga healthcare services outreach. Matis is deployed from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska and is a dentist and Dehncke, from RAAF Base Richmond, New South Wales, is a senior dental assistant-preventative. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Rachelle Coleman)Pacific Angel-Tonga
                        
                        
                        Capt. Jeremy Matis, left, and Royal Australian air force Cpl. Terri-Anne Dehncke  perform an extraction July 22, 2014, in Neiafu, Tonga. The dental clinic was set up in a local college for the Pacific Angel-Tonga healthcare services outreach. Matis is deployed from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska and is a dentist and Dehncke, from RAAF Base Richmond, New South Wales, is a senior dental assistant-preventative. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Rachelle Coleman)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Lt. Col. Catherine Kanwetz  performs an extraction July 22, 2014, in Neiafu, Tonga. Pacific Angel-Tonga includes general health, dental, optometry, pediatrics, and engineering programs as well as various subject-matter expert exchanges. Kanwetz is deployed from the 152nd Air Base, Reno, Nev., and is the PACANGEL-Tonga lead dentist. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Rachelle Coleman)Pacific Angel-Tonga
                        
                        
                        Lt. Col. Catherine Kanwetz  performs an extraction July 22, 2014, in Neiafu, Tonga. Pacific Angel-Tonga includes general health, dental, optometry, pediatrics, and engineering programs as well as various subject-matter expert exchanges. Kanwetz is deployed from the 152nd Air Base, Reno, Nev., and is the PACANGEL-Tonga lead dentist. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Rachelle Coleman)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Airmen treat and educate at Tonga dental clinicPublished July 24, 2014
                    
                    By Staff Sgt. Rachelle Coleman
                    
                    
                    Pacific Angel-Tonga Public Affairs
            **NEIAFU, Tonga (AFNS) --**Two tables pushed together and a stack of plastic chairs serve as an operating table for men, women and children of all ages who wait patiently for their turn to see a dentist.
The dental clinic was one of four clinics setup in the auditorium of Mailefihi Siu'ilikutapu College in Neiafu, Tonga. American, Australian, and Tongan dentists and technicians are working together to ensure they treat as many patients as possible each day of the Pacific Angel-Tonga’s health care services outreach program July 21-25. 
"The majority of care is exclusively extractions and exams," said Lt. Col. Catherine Kanwetz, the lead for PACANGEL dental services. 
While the local hospital is capable of treating dental patients, the PACANGEL clinic helps identify problems to improve patient flow. 
"They are able to do restorative dentistry, such as fillings, they can fix dentures; they can do root canals up there and also extractions so basically we're just supplementing them," Kanwetz said.
The PACANGEL mission allowed multiple services and countries to work together and exercise their interoperability.
"It's really fun, everybody has a lot to bring to the table,” Kanwetz said. “I've really been enjoying hearing about their stories." 
The open setup has also allowed for personnel to get a glimpse into the work other parts of the clinic are doing.
"If I could do it again I would," said Senior Airman Ivan Navarro, a PACANGEL-Tonga dental technician. "I've met such great people just all different parts of the world and different bases. I get to see how other people do their jobs. Being in the dental field we don't get to see what everybody else does."
Navarro also had the opportunity to step out into the community and visit four schools on the island to assist with the hospital's Mali Mali Program. Mali mali means smile in Tongan.
"The message of the Mali Mali is to (tell) the kids how important it is to brush their teeth every day," said Talanoa Vaka, a Prince Ngu Hospital dental therapist. "The problem is we have a survey a few years ago, the DMFT is very bad. The DMFT is an international measurement for decay, missing and filled teeth."
The program visits the 22 primary schools and 10 preschools on island weekly as well as 11 schools on the surrounding islands quarterly.
"We kind of share what we know and kind of hope that they take on what we taught them and keep up with them as time goes on," Navarro said. "It's not something you get to do every day -- to come to an island in the middle of the South Pacific. I mean the people have been just awesome, very nice. Just the chance to help people out, you know -- the ones who really need it." 
PACANGEL is a total force, joint and combined humanitarian assistance operation led by Pacific Air Forces. PACANGEL 2014 includes general health, dental, optometry, pediatrics, and engineering programs as well as various subject-matter expert exchanges.Humanitarian 



Pacific Angel 



PACANGEL 



dentist 



dental care 



Neiafu 



join 



Tonga

Related Links
        Pacific Angel making a difference in Tonga
                                July 22, 2014
                                More than 160 members from seven nations joined forces to provide humanitarian assistance to the citizens of Tonga as part of Operation Pacific Angel-Tonga July 21. Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF Kendall visits Bangor ANG Base
                    
                    Vice President Harris congratulates USAFA Class of ‘24
                    
                    Senate confirms Melissa Dalton as next Under Secretary of the Air Force
                    
                    ‘One Team, One Fight’: SecAF visits Keesler AFB
                    
                    SecAF Kendall experiences VISTA of future flight test at Edwards AFBInnovation
                AFSFC reaches final phase of fielding Model Defender gear
                    
                    Around the Air Force: PCS Allowances, Air Task Forces, All-Volunteer Force
                    
                    AFIMSC focuses I-WEPTAC topics on GPC solutions
                    
                    Optimizing AI, Air University hosts Artificial Intelligence Symposium
                    
                    AFIMSC tools deliver data-driven solutions across DAFMAJCOM News
                AFMC to expand AcqDemo workforce
                    
                    AFMC empowers small businesses for Air Force reoptimization
                    
                    Acquisition Instructor Course Class 25A open for nominations
                    
                    Air Guard leaders host 2024 Wing Leader Conference
                    
                    Referral bonuses aim to help fill mission-critical vacancies
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil