Some of those queuing to register as NHS patients with a dentist in Powys give their reaction. In pictures

Denticare is providing 3,000 places in Port Talbot and 6,600 in Newtown.

Around 100 had joined the queue outside a local hotel in Newtown by 0845 GMT while 20 were waiting for registration to open in Port Talbot.

The firm is to provide up to 26,000 NHS places with surgeries also planned in Brecon, Swansea and Lampeter.

Queues of patients trying to register with NHS dentists have become common in Wales. Last August, 300 people queued in Llangollen when NHS places were made available.

Patients in Newtown have until Friday lunchtime to register and until Thursday to sign up in Port Talbot.

Denticare has said it plans to open more surgeries than the five planned for mid and west Wales.

There is much uncertainty among practitioners about what they are going to do after April Stuart Geddes

The company has said it had received around �40,000 from the assembly government to set up each clinic as part of an initiative programme to try and increase the number of NHS dental places.

Andrew Powell, director of primary care for Powys Local Health Board, welcomed Denticare's new practice and said he understood the firm was providing four registration desks in Newtown in a bid to keep down any queue.

He said "We have for quite some time found it difficult to recruit NHS dentists into our area.

New contracts

"It might be rurality might have a part to play and alongside that, of course, we have lost some NHS registrations when dentists have chosen to go private."

He said the firm had been treated no differently from other surgeries which had opened in the county.

He said: "I will say that from June 2004, we have supported the establishment of six other practices."

One woman who was queuing in Newtown said she also planned to register her 18-month-old grandson with the firm.

The dental firm plans five NHS practices in mid and south west Wales

She said: "It is a relief because I know if I can sign on and get in with them then I know I don't have to travel, I don't have to worry.

"If I get toothache I can just ring them up. I can get an appointment. There isn't an NHS dentist in this area. It's just all private.

"I had severe toothache [in] October. I rung Welshpool and I was told I had to go to Shrewsbury, which is an 80-mile round trip, which is a bit ridiculous."

Meanwhile, some NHS dentists have said there is a lack of progress towards agreeing their new contracts. The assembly government has denied this.

The new contract is expected to replace paying a practice for each treatment carried out on patients with a set annual budget.