Potential patients started queuing in Llangollen before breakfast

About 100 would-be NHS patients queued outside the surgery on Monday morning.

A shortage of dentists means they have been unable to join other local practices.

The Welsh Assembly Government said the opening was a sign its initiative - under which dentists are offered golden hellos to set up - is working.

The first patients were queuing outside dentist Hilary Wilby's practice at 0730 BST on Monday.

The surgery was opening to register about 2,000 NHS patients but will also take on private work.

Dentist Hilary Wilby said she put only a small notice in the window

Long queues when new practices open in rural areas of Wales are no longer unusual: last July more than 600 people waited patiently in line when a surgery opened its doors in Carmarthen.

Ms Wilby said the long queue outside her practice had been a surprise.

"It has been very busy - more busy than I thought it would be," she said.

"We actually put a small notice in the window."

The new surgery has been set up with the help of an assembly government grant to encourage the growth of dental services.

Welsh Health Minister Jane Hutt is due to visit another practice at Treorchy in south Wales on Tuesday which has expanded with the help of the assembly initiative.

"Since the initiative was launched in 1995 over 100 dentists have benefited from it, which is a huge achievement," the assembly government said an a statement.