Teava Hopes to make Tuvalu Smile

There’s more to what meets the eye when you encounter Ailini Teava. The Tuvaluan lass is in her second last year of completing her Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme at the Fiji National University (FNU) and is the only regional student in her class.

Studying at the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Teava was inspired by her mother, a dental therapist and an alumnus of FNU. Her mother is the only dental therapist in Tuvalu.

“We did have dentists in Tuvalu, but they have all migrated, leaving my mother to hold the fort in Tuvalu for a long time. This motivated me to pursue dentistry so that I could help my mother and my country.”

Teava said that although the programme was challenging at times, she was grateful for her friends and lecturers who helped her cope.

“I thought moving from home to Fiji would be tough, especially when it came to making new friends, but I managed to adapt.”

Teava was part of a group of 40 dental students that spent one week in Vunaniu village in Serua conducting free dental checkups.

When asked about the experience of staying in a rural Fijian village, Teava stated that although she was anxious at first, the hospitality and food provided by the village made her feel right at home.

She was thankful for the opportunity to be able to practice her clinical skills with numerous patients daily during the dental checkups. It also helped with her time management, communication, and organisational skills.

“Back home there is only one hospital in the capital, Funafuti, which caters to the dental needs of islanders living in all the other islands. The experience that I have gained from the dental clinics in Vunaniu will help me significantly in being able to do my work effectively when I become the only dentist in Tuvalu.”

“The community clinic exercise has also given me ideas on how I can carry out community services across the islands back at home in Tuvalu.”

Ailini hopes to provide dental services to all the atolls and islands in Tuvalu once she graduates from the programme.

She encouraged other young Tuvaluans to pursue studies in the field of dentistry and oral healthcare because it was an important aspect of the holistic good health and well-being of an individual.

“FNU is the premier provider of medical and health care education and there are scholarships available for students who wish to join the dental profession.”

Applications for CMNHS Semester 1, 2024 programmes are now open. Email admission@fnu.ac.fj to Apply Now!