By Sgt. Mary Torres, 1st Marine Logistics Group

REPUBLIC OF PALAU — U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to 1st Dental Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, participated in a Dental Civic Action Program at the Palau Civic Center in Koror, Palau, during Exercise Koa Moana 26, between August 2 – 11, 2026.

Exercise Koa Moana 26 is an annual Indo-Pacific partnership that strengthens relationships with allies and partners through community outreach, medical and civic assistance, infrastructure improvement projects and key leader engagements.

The dental team was able to turn the Palau Civic Center into a fully operational dental treatment facility, demonstrating their ability to bring mobile dental care to anyone around the world. The Sailors brought all their equipment on commercial air, which included an expeditionary modular system that could be transported via backpack.

“I was excited to showcase that you do not need to come to the dentist, a full dental team can go to you, even in an austere environment,” stated U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Cody Sullivan, the dental officer in charge of 1st Dental Bn., 1st MLG.

During the DENCAP, Sailors offered a variety of free dental services to the citizens and residents of Palau, which included dental exams, X-rays, oral hygiene education as well as operative procedures such as fillings and extractions, and cleanings.

To participate, individuals would visit the clinic, meet at the front desk to fill out a registration form with their patient information and then go through an exam and screening station. From there, a dentist would determine if X-rays were needed. If they were needed, they were able to provide them thanks to a portable X-ray system. After that, they would go to an oral hygiene education station, where they would understand their treatment plan, while also receiving the opportunity to learn about proper dental hygiene. During that station, the doctor would decide which treatment plan was most important for the patient, prioritizing pain and active infections. The 4th and 5th station were treatment rooms, where the patient would receive their operative procedures if needed.

“The Corpsmen were very proactive in ensuring we had an efficient system to keep patient care flowing and I have been really impressed on how well they worked as a team, how much initiative they have taken, and how they implemented the knowledge that they learned throughout their career into this care,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Samantha Gonzalez, a general dentist with 1st Dental Bn.

The role of the dental corpsman during DENCAP was assisting the dentists while they provided dental operative procedures, conducting X-rays, teaching proper oral hygiene, and ensuring each station ran smoothly, while adapting to working in a non-traditional dental facility.

“My favorite part has been being able to help the people of the community and getting the opportunity to practice my craft of providing dental care in a different environment, it feels great to see how appreciative the people here are of our services,” stated U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Segovia, a dental corpsman with 1st Dental Bn.

DENCAP provided the people of Palau the opportunity to receive treatment and address their dental concerns. Many citizens and residents could not do so prior due to financial circumstances and limited availability due to there only being two dentists on the island.

The overwhelming number of patients demonstrated the demand for accessible dental services to the people of Palau and the huge impact it made on the community.

Betel nut, a highly addictive seed derived from the areca palm tree, is widely consumed in Palau and causes teeth staining, gum disease and mouth ulcers. Many residents also lack proper education in dental hygiene, such as brushing and flossing. Their goal was to assist patients with pain relief in their mouth, while also educating them on preventative measures to avoid further dental issues in the future.

“The dental services are very much needed here in Palau because when it comes to our culture and our island, a lot of damaging things go in our mouth such as betel nut and contaminated things,” stated Eric Kloulubak, a local of Peleliu, Palau, he continued, “There is a shortfall of self-management when it comes to maintaining our teeth. So, these services are very appreciated and needed for our culture.”

While supporting the people of Peleu, the dental team treated around 838 patients, averaging 90-100 patients a day, extracting more than 250 teeth, and the estimated value of the dental services provided was over $330,000.

“It makes me happy knowing we are able to help as much as we can, but it also hurts knowing that there is so much work that needs to be done in this community and once we leave there is really not going to be a lot of resources available to them,” stated Gonzalez.

The dental team saw extreme cases of poor dental hygiene and were able to provide the best care possible to as many people as they could see.

“This mission exceeded my expectations, we were anticipating around 350-500 patients total,” Sullivan continued, “I unfortunately on the last day had to turn people away because there were so many people wanting to receive dental care and we did not have the resources and time to provide it.”

The community’s overwhelming participation showed how impactful the DENCAP was and the importance of continued partnership between the United States and Palau.

Koa Moana not only strengthened the partnership between the United States and the Republic of Palau but also provided Sailors valuable experience while giving hundreds of people access to dental care they otherwise may not have received.