Dr. Wayne Chisholm, an 84-year-old dentist from Monroe, Utah, has spent more than three decades building dental clinics and improving oral health across the Pacific Islands, a mission that began with a single volunteer trip to Tonga in 1995.
Chisholm and his wife, Jeannine, first traveled to Tonga to provide volunteer dental services through a nonprofit dental organization. What started as a short-term effort soon became a lifelong commitment. Over the past 31 years, Chisholm has returned to Tonga 17 times, made 17 trips to Kiribati, and visited Samoa three times, helping to establish permanent dental clinics, train volunteers, and serve as a missionary.
Elder Brad Smith, a service missionary and co-chair of the Church’s dental advisory committee, began working alongside Chisholm in the Pacific in 2011. Smith described Chisholm as “the architect of increased oral health in the Pacific,” noting that the impact of his work has reached tens of thousands of people.
“I don’t think Wayne had any idea how many people would be blessed by his humble beginnings,” Smith said.
For the Chisholms, the work extended far beyond dentistry. Jeannine Chisholm, whom her husband described as “the heart and soul” of their service, died two years ago. Her headstone reads, “Because I have been given much, I too must give,” a phrase Wayne Chisholm said perfectly reflects their shared motivation.
The couple first learned about opportunities to serve in Tonga while operating their dental practice in Monroe. On their initial trip, Wayne Chisholm spent one week providing dental care in a hospital and another week treating children at an elementary school. The warmth and gratitude of the local community convinced them to return the following year.
“We just felt loved,” Chisholm said. “I wanted to go back.”
Over time, the Chisholms helped establish dental clinics in Nuku‘alofa, Tonga; Apia, Samoa; and Eita, Kiribati. All three clinics are located at Church-owned secondary schools. Beyond providing care themselves, they recruited volunteer dentists to serve for weeks at a time and trained local returned and prospective missionaries to work as dental assistants.
In 2003, Wayne and Jeannine Chisholm were formally called to serve as missionaries at the Tonga clinic. Later, with the support of Elder and Sister Smith, dental assisting programs were developed in Tonga and Samoa, allowing local residents to earn certifications and secure employment with their governments.
According to Chisholm, each clinic treats between 150 and 200 patients per week. Church figures estimate that since opening, the clinics have served about 200,000 patients in Tonga, 100,000 in Samoa, and 10,000 in Kiribati.
The service has also fostered deep personal connections. Many patients refer to Chisholm as “Papa Chis,” and some families have named children after him and his wife. Several local volunteers have gone on to attend college, serve missions, and even pursue careers in dentistry.
Chisholm said he has witnessed what he considers daily miracles, including the recovery of a young Kiribati volunteer suffering from severe scurvy after receiving vitamin C treatment at the clinic.
Chisholm retired from his family dental practice in July 2025, but his work in the Pacific is not finished. He plans to return to Kiribati in early April, continuing a mission he believes has been guided by faith and service.
“As I look back,” he said, “the Lord has been directing me all along.”