"The new dental center is being opened in line with the directive of Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah who wants the service at dental centers to match the increasing needs of the growing population across the country," said Dr. Muhammad Al-Rafiei, director of dental medicine in the Health Ministry.

Dr. Abdullah spoke to Arab News at the sidelines of the annual meeting of the directors of the Kingdom's dental centers currently being held in Jeddah.

"As the ministry realized the significance of dental care in keeping a person healthy, it has been striving to improve the quality and quantity of dental services," he added.

The ministry implemented preventive programs such as filling cavities and fluoride treatment to school students, besides conducting awareness campaigns.

The Dental Medicine Administration in the Health Affairs Department of Makkah province hosted the annual meeting in Jeddah. In his opening address the director said the meeting aimed at identifying and fix the shortcomings of dental service in the Kingdom.