Li Changren, chairman of Bybo Dental Group. [Feng Yongbin/chinadaily.com.cn]

Bybo Dental Group, a leading private institution in China concerned with oral health, is set to extend its network by opening more clinics while upgrading its technologies and services.

"The market is huge for oral health in China as people are paying more attention to it over the years," said Li Changren, chairman of Bybo Dental, in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

"We aim to cover major communities in about 40-50 cities in China by 2017, first-tier cities initially then the second and third," he said.

The company, launched in 1993 as a six-man private dental clinic, has evolved into a large group specializing in dental treatment, medical institution investment and medical equipment marketing.

It now owns nearly 200 clinics across the country.

"It's not easy to meet the target, of course," he added. "But we'll do it one step at a time. We now have adequate money to bring in more talents and upgrade technologies to offer better services".

Bybo Dental won about 1 billion yuan ($156.9 million) of investment from Legend Holdings Ltd last year, which made it Legend's first strategic investment in the medical care sector.

Legend's investment boosts the company's confidence to expand, Li said. "We see eye to eye in the direction Bybo goes and the target it sets in the growing market.

"The money will keep coming to make sure that we meet the target and take a strong foothold in the market".

China has been undergoing major medical reforms since the Twelfth Five-year Plan (2011-15) to make medical care services more available and affordable to people, while encouraging more private capital investment.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for private dental institutions like Bybo," said Li. "We'll try to offer better and less expensive dental services to those who are in need".

The country has about 560 million people with decayed teeth, among whom 94.5 percent have not got appropriate treatment, Li added.

The company held a public-welfare concert on Sunday together with China Philharmonic Orchestra to raise money for children in rural areas.

Public-welfare activities are an important part of the endeavor as the company develops, said Li. "That's what makes us great in this area and brings us forward."