By Park Chung-a Staff Reporter About two thirds of Koreans have dental problems and 53 percent of those aged over 65 find it hard to chew. The fact was made public in a survey of 16,000 Koreans aged between 2 and 95 by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Only 27 percent of eight-year-olds said they brush their teeth after lunch and 6 percent of adults said they receive dental examination on a regular basis. However, the survey reported improvements in the dental health conditions in some areas. The number of tooth decay or dental caries of 12-year-olds has decreased from 3.3 in 2003 to 2.2 in 2006. It is the first time that the number has fallen since the survey was first conducted in 1972. But the number is still greater than the OECD average of 1.6. Also, the number of people who experienced tooth decay decreased by 24 percentage points to 61 percent compared to three years ago. The percentage of people who experienced the worsening of dental health has fallen from 48 percent in 2003 to 17 percent in 2006 in cities but the corresponding number in small counties rose from 48 percent to 52 percent during the same period. Choi Soo-young, a dentist at Soosung Dental Clinic in Seoul, pointed to incorrect ways of brushing one’s teeth and lack of health insurance coverage for the majority of dental treatments as most significant hindrances to improvement of dental health. ``Make sure to brush the outside, the tongue side and the chewing surfaces of your teeth. For the front teeth, brush the inside surfaces of the upper and lower jaws by tilting the brush vertically and making several up and down strokes with the front part of the brush over the teeth and gum tissues,’’ she said. ``People should brush their tongue as well, which can help remove bacteria that causes bad breath. It's also important to brush twice a day and to use a toothpaste containing fluoride to help prevent tooth decay.’’ The government said that it will make efforts to expand free dental check-ups and dental education but it said it will take a long time to expand health insurance coverage for dental treatments as it requires restructuring of the health insurance system. michelle@koreatimes.co.kr