A Devon dental practice, which was given �50,000 in government support, says it may be forced to close because of a shortage of dentists.

There were four full-time dentists at Brymar Surgery in Totnes a year ago, but now there are just two.

It is the latest casualty of a nationwide staffing crisis in dentistry.

Many of the practice's 10,000 patients have been told they may have to go private.

We could not find an NHS practice that had any spaces Elaine Moles

And the remaining NHS patients may have to visit less often.

The surgery - given �50,000 start-up cash by the government in 1999 - is one of a handful of practices in the South West which still take large numbers of NHS patients.

Some patients travel many miles to use its services.

Patient Elaine Moles, from Plymouth, said: "We could not find an NHS practice that had any spaces.

"The closest was here in Totnes which is a three quarter of an hour drive.

Walk-in centre

The shortage of NHS dentists in Totnes is reflected in the rest of the West Country.

There are 197 dentists in Cornwall, but only 14 of them are solely NHS practices, with 16 others taking some NHS patients.

A new walk-in NHS dentistry was launched in Plymouth earlier this month to offer treatment to people who are not registered with a dentist.

It is estimated there are currently 140,000 people waiting to register with an NHS dentist in the city.