One in three of the most deprived three-year-olds in Glasgow have some form of tooth decay, new research in the British Dental Journal shows.
Scientists at the University of Glasgow's Dental School looked at the dental health of 4,000 three-year-olds between 2006 and 2008.
They discovered that, on average, the city's poorest children had one-and-a-half teeth that had been filled, showed signs of decay or were missing
In contrast, the city's least deprived children typically had just one-third of a tooth that had been filled, was decayed or was missing.
Overall, a quarter of all three-year-olds in the Greater Glasgow area had some form of tooth decay.
Andrew Lamb, director for Scotland at the British Dental Association, said that while the nation's oral health has improved significantly over the past 40 years, the new study underlines the 'depressing' link between poor dental health and inequalities.
'Given that tooth decay is totally preventable, it's unacceptable that social deprivation is still such a strong marker of poor dental health,' he claimed.
'This study reinforces the importance of providing support to children from deprived communities soon after they are born.'
A recent report by the Audit Commission highlighted the increasing gap in healthcare between children living in deprived areas and those in wealthier communities.