The statistic is above the national average of 54%, but there must be further improvement in child dental health if the region is to hit the Scottish Executive’s target of 60% by 2010.

The figures were compiled by each of the country’s health boards and collated by three national teams led by Mr Martyn Merrett, NHS Tayside’s Consultant in Dental Public Health and chair of the Scottish Dental Epidemiological Co-ordinating Committee.

Significantly, the results identify a continuing strong association between social deprivation and dental disease, with those in deprived areas having most teeth affected by dental decay at a young age.

Mr Merrett said he was encouraged by the general improvement in oral health amongst children across Scotland but said more had to be done to improve standards.

He said, “This is the third survey of five-year-old children since 2003 and it continues to show that dental health in this age group is steadily improving. This result is the best level of dental health for P1 children in Scotland ever recorded. At the current trend, dental health of P1 children will reach the target set for this age group by the Scottish Executive for 2010.

“Both local and national initiatives to improve dental health in young children have been on-going for several years and these results are beginning to show the benefits. However, we must ensure this work continues if young people in Scotland are to have a healthier dental future.”

Scotland’s Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald today welcomed the figures, the best since monitoring began in 1987.

He said, “I am encouraged that children’s oral health is improving so rapidly. It is through projects like the toothbrushing schemes we have introduced that we are really beginning to make a difference to children’s oral health.

“Now more than 100,000 children across Scotland take part in a daily toothbrushing scheme at nursery and primary school and we plan to roll this out to even more schools.”