CHILD dental health in Scotland has reached its best ever levels after every NHS board hit targets for the number of children with no tooth decay.

National Dental Inspection Programme figures show that, for the first time, every one of the 14 health boards met the Scottish Government target for 60% of children in primary seven to have no obvious signs of tooth decay.

This is an overall increase of almost 6% on 2009.

Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said: "This is tremendous progress and a sign we are reaping the reward of our significant investment in children's dentistry. It is important to make sure we maintain this over Christmas and New Year, and as we move into 2012.

"That's why we are continuing to invest in childhood dental health, through programmes such as Childsmile, which emphasises the importance of tooth brushing and helps parents establish a healthy diet from the earliest stage.

"Through the Childsmile programme, 94% of all nursery schools and 95% of primary schools in the most deprived areas have taught children how to brush their teeth properly."

Scotland has historically had poor levels of dental health, with poor diet and the passion for sweet treats partly to blame. Experts also found a link between dental health and poverty, with a report last year suggesting one-third of the poorest children showed signs of tooth decay at the age of three.