Dr. Mark Costes and the Smile Outreach International volunteer team just returned from Fiji — and what they accomplished in five days is worth stopping to recognize.
There is something that happens when a group of dental professionals packs up their skills and flies across the world to serve people who have no other access to care. They leave with the intention of giving. They come home having received something they did not expect: gratitude, perspective, and the specific kind of exhausted-proud that only comes from doing work that actually matters.
This past week, Dr. Costes and his team had the honor of returning to Natuvu Creek, Fiji in partnership with Smile Outreach International. Here is what they accomplished.
The Numbers
The numbers tell a story that words cannot fully carry:
- Total patients served: 204
- Extractions: 295
- Restorations: 269
- Fluoride treatments: 105
- Cleanings: 56
- Scaling and root planings (SRPs): 168
- Root canals: 13
- Full dentures: 18
- Partial dentures: 2
- Total value of services rendered: $377,036
People traveled hours to be seen. Dr. Costes and his team showed up every single day ready to meet them with skill, patience, and genuine care. That is not a small thing.
Thank You to The Mission at Natuvu Creek
None of this is possible without the right partners on the ground. The Mission at Natuvu Creek opened their doors to the team, poured tremendous effort into making the week run, and welcomed every volunteer with the kind of joyful generosity that stays with you. Dr. Costes and the entire SOI team are deeply grateful for making every minute in Fiji an absolute gift.
The Doctors Who Made It Happen
This trip does not happen without practitioners who are willing to give their time, their clinical talent, and their hearts. The doctors who were on the ground this week deserve to be recognized:
- Dr. Bob Prijic
- Dr. James Cantua
- Dr. Josh Tally
- Dr. Winston Feng
- Dr. Jeff Clark
Week after week, year after year, these doctors show up. The Fiji community felt that — and so did everyone fortunate enough to witness this work up close.
The Executive Team Who Showed Up for Every Role
The Dental Success Institute Executive Team also made the trip — Kay, Britney, Liz, and Carly traveled across the world to be part of this mission. They rolled up their sleeves, stepped into every role needed, and showed up fully present for the work. Their presence meant the world to every volunteer on the ground.
Why This Work Matters Beyond the Chair
Dental practice ownership carries a unique kind of privilege. The training represents years of investment and sacrifice. But it also means carrying a skill that most of the world will never have access to. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 3.5 billion people globally are affected by untreated dental disease. That is not an abstraction. It is people living in pain, people who have never seen a dentist, people whose lives are changed when a trained volunteer shows up and actually treats them.
Smile Outreach International was founded by Dr. Costes precisely to address this gap. Through dental mission trips like this one, volunteer practitioners deliver care that would otherwise never reach the communities who need it most. If this is something you have ever considered, SOI makes it possible.
Join Us at the 4th Annual SOI Gala — The Great Gatsby
The work does not stop in Fiji. It continues through the community that funds, supports, and celebrates it.
Smile Outreach International invites you to join us for the 4th Annual SOI Auction and Gala — and this year, the theme is The Great Gatsby: A Roaring 20s Soirée.
The Gala takes place on Saturday, June 14, 2026, during the Dental Success Summit at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa in Frisco, Texas. The evening will feature a red carpet reception, plated dinner, silent auction, live auction, raffle, and dancing — all in support of the mission you just read about above.
Every dollar raised goes directly to supporting SOI’s mission trips and the communities they serve. This is your chance to be part of that work, even if you were not in Fiji this week.
Secure your tickets HERE!
What This Team Proved
Dr. Costes and the SOI team left Fiji proud of what they accomplished, humbled by the people who trusted them with their care, and grateful for every opportunity to serve through Smile Outreach International. Vinaka Vakalevu, Fiji. Until next time.If you are a dental practice owner looking for ways to connect your skills to something bigger than your schedule, Dental Success Network is a community built around exactly that kind of purpose-driven practice ownership. The conversation starts here.
