KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health announced that it will open a specialized center for pediatric dental treatment in Jahra to provide comprehensive dental services for children from birth to the age of 16 years.

Assistant Undersecretary for Administrative Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Fares said in a speech on behalf of Minister of Health Dr Ahmad Al-Awadhi during the opening of the 23rd Kuwait Dental Conference on Saturday that this project will be an initial step in preparation for its dissemination to the rest of the governorates.

“We will witness preparations for the operation and opening of the Capital School Program Center for Oral and Dental Health in Abdullah Al-Salem suburb around 40 clinics as soon as the rehabilitation and processing works are completed,” he added.

He pointed out that the ministry is following up the rehabilitation and equipment work for the Sabah Al-Ahmad Specialized Dental Center by 41 clinics in preparation for the opening and operation, which is expected to be operational by the end of the first half of next year.

“There are many achievements during the recent period, including the expansion of scholarship plans by increasing the number of scholarships for postgraduate studies abroad in the field of dentistry to 77 doctors this year and providing the opportunity to increase the number of doctors to enroll in local graduate programs - Kuwait Board of Dentistry programs,” he stressed.

He praised the expansion of local graduate programs in the specialties of dentistry by introducing and adopting three new programs this year, including the Kuwait Board of Orthodontics Program, the Kuwait Board Program for Periodontics and the Kuwaiti Board Program for Prosthetic Dental Prosthesis.

Dr. Mohammad Dashti.

“The electronic link of services between specialized dental centers, public hospitals and primary health care centers has been completed,” he said pointing to the opening and operation of Taima Health Center for Dentistry, which has 18 clinics under it distributed over six specialized departments that represent an unprecedented qualitative leap for dental services in Jahra Governorate.

He stressed that the conference comes within the vision and objectives of the Ministry in keeping pace with the latest global developments in the field of dentistry in order to improve the scientific and practical aspect of the working cadres as well as to provide a climate of knowledge and exchange of experiences with its counterparts in the Arab world and the rest of the world.

For his part, the President of the Conference and President of the Kuwait Dental Association, Dr. Mohammad Dashti, confirmed that this conference is the largest of its kind in the State of Kuwait, with the attendance of more than 2,000 doctors and more than 70 international and local lecturers, in addition to many workshops.

“What distinguishes the conference this year is that it is the first of its kind in terms of allocating a scientific day for dental implants, prepared by the scientific committee of the conference in cooperation with the Association of Periodontal Surgeons in the Kuwait Association of Dental Surgeons,” Dashti pointed.

He stressed the conference’s keenness to highlight the important and basic challenges facing the dental sector in the country, including how to train and develop dentists from new graduates, pointing out “about 500 dentists graduate annually need continuous training and development.”

For his part, orthodontist consultant Dr. Mubarak Al-Saeed confirmed to reporters that Kuwait is one of the most advanced countries in the world in the field of dentistry thanks to the state’s efforts in sending Kuwaiti doctors to the best international universities.

He stressed that “digital braces” is the most innovative and advanced technology in the world and is a revolution in the future of dentistry in Kuwait and the world, pointing out “transparent braces have revolutionized the world of dentistry, as braces have shifted from manual to smart digital.” — KUNA