ULAN BATOR, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia will spend 50 billion Mongolian tugriks (20.4 million U.S. dollars) on a five-year national program to provide children with dental check-ups and treatment, Health Minister Sarangerel Davaajantsan said at a press conference Wednesday.

The "Healthy Teeth and Healthy Children" program will start from next year, covering 725,000 children aged between 2-12 across the country.

Tooth decay is the most prevalent chronic disease among Mongolian children. Government data showed 80-90 percent of children aged between 2-12 suffer from dental decay, forcing the government to start the program.