The executive said its priority was to provide training for dental students

The dental school received funding to take on 70 new students but more than 100 people accepted places.

Only four prospective students accepted the university's offer of �2,000 to postpone their studies for a year.

Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald said the students deserved the best training and education available.

The number of applications to attend the Dundee school rose by 40% this year and the number of acceptances increased by more than 30%.

These students should benefit from the highest quality education and training available Lewis Macdonald Deputy Health Minister

The university then offered a bursary package to prospective students if they were willing to defer for one year to ease overcrowding.

Opposition politicians said it was ridiculous that trainees were being turned away when the country faced a shortage of dentists.

Following a meeting with the principal of Dundee University Sir Alan Langlands, Mr Macdonald said the executive had agreed to award additional funding.

University 'delighted'

He added: "I am pleased to announce that the executive has agreed to put into place a one-off emergency funding package of �4.5m to support the clinical costs of these students' education, including one-year NHS vocational training after graduation.

"My priority is to ensure not only that these students can benefit from the highest quality education and training available, but also that the NHS and NHS patients benefit in the long-term from this additional investment."

The minister said the majority of new students at the university's dental school this year were from Scotland and therefore were statistically more likely to remain in the country after they graduated.

Sir Alan said he was "delighted" the executive had awarded additional funding.

"The university is committed to maintaining the high standards of teaching and training offered at the dental school," he added.

Dentist's complaint

"The executive's announcement today ensures the clinical support is there for the clinical training of these dentists."

The executive has already pledged �150m to provide 200 additional NHS dentists by 2008.

Meanwhile, a dentist in north east Scotland said he was giving up NHS work because the executive had failed sufficiently to improve dentists' terms and conditions.

Dr Antony Visocchi, of the Banchory Dental Practice, said he would offer most of his patients private treatment in future.

He said NHS dentists had not received the improvements promised by the executive and that remaining in the NHS was no longer a viable option for his practice.