First Minister Alex Salmond joined Public Health Minister Shona Robison on Tuesday to officially open the new £20m Aberdeen Dental School.

Robertson Eastern, part of the national Robertson Construction Group, built the new complex which includes facilities for radiography, restorative dentistry and consultant orthodontics as well as dental laboratories, student laboratories and office accommodation.

The ceremony marks its official move to a purpose-built new home at Foresterhill.

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The dental school - a joint venture between NHS Grampian, the University of Aberdeen, the University of Dundee and NHS Education for Scotland - aims to produce 20 fully-qualified dentists every year.

Since September 2008, students of the dental school have been studying at an existing building at the NHS Grampian site, the Dental Education Centre, while the new multimillion-pound centre was being constructed.

It is hoped the school can help cut the north-east's dental waiting list, thought to be nearly 33,000.

Bill Robertson, Executive Chairman, Robertson said: "Robertson has a strong track record of delivering healthcare projects across Scotland.

"The new dental school will not only provide a fantastic modern learning environment but it should also help to alleviate some of the pressure on the city's dental waiting list."

(GK/BMcC)