Glenys Evans is having to travel to Shrewsbury

Glenys Evans, from Newtown in Powys, said she was "angry, frustrated and annoyed" to have to go to Shrewsbury.

Recent shortages of NHS dentists in Wales have led to long queues forming at surgeries taking on new patients.

The Welsh Assembly Government said it was tackling the dentists' shortage "in a number of ways".

On Tuesday, annual figures are due to be published showing how many NHS dentists there are in Wales.

Mrs Evans said she starting trying to find an NHS dentist after developing toothache.

It is an ongoing problem - I don't know what I am going to do now Glenys Evans

"I spent a whole day telephoning different surgeries in Newtown, Llanidloes, Machynlleth, Knighton - all over the place and I failed to get one,"she said.

"It was just by luck I found out there was an NHS dentist taking emergencies on in Shrewsbury.

"I had to wait for an appointment there for a fortnight, it is a 70-mile journey and I have to go twice.

"I was angry, frustrated and annoyed to think we have paid into the NHS all our lives and as pensioners, when we need treatment there is none available.

"It is an ongoing problem - I don't know what I am going to do now."

Mrs Evans said she was still without a dentist as the surgery in Shrewsbury was not taking any more patients.

The British Dental Association (BDA) estimates that Wales is about 50 NHS dentists short at present.

Hundreds queued to register at this NHS surgery in Carmarthen in 2003

Director Stuart Geddis told BBC Wales' Politics Show that the delay in implementing an England and Wales dental contract provides an opportunity for the assembly government to come up with fresh ideas.

"[They] have got to do something with dental services pretty quickly. Or you are not going to have an awful lot of NHS dental capacity left," he said.

He added that, in areas like Swansea, practitioners were opting out of the NHS scheme.

A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said that the BDA in Wales has agreed to continue discussions with them on how the new dentists' contract can be shaped in Wales.

He said the number of dental students in Wales rose by 17% last year.