He said the findings from a national survey on oral health showed that 82% of six-year-olds and 63.3% of 12-year-old schoolchildren also suffer from caries.

Asits said the findings also showed that dental health problems are more prevalent in rural areas due to high sugar intake and a lack of emphasis on dental hygiene.

Asits added that to enhance access to health facilities, the state health department has expanded its services through a network of dental clinics and specialist facilities, including school dental clinics, mobile dental clinics and mobile dental teams.

“We are promoting preventive practices as daily routines, such as brushing teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste,” he said when closing a dental health promotion week here.

“In addition to gargling after meals, maintaining a healthy diet, performing regular self-examinations of the mouth and getting a dental check-up at least once a year is often recommended to prevent dental disease,” he said.