An extra 23,000 patient places have been created in 12 months

On a visit to the dental school at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, Ms Hutt said the number of undergraduate places would rise to 64.

Meanwhile, six areas of Wales, where there have been shortages of NHS dentists will share �510,000.

The details of the �1.5m funding follows a �5.3m announcement in May.

Ms Hutt said: "I am very much aware of the problems facing the public in gaining access to NHS dental treatment and the problems facing the dental profession.

"But we are starting to make a difference."

Local health boards sharing �510,000 are Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil and Pembrokeshire.

The assembly government said 23 dental practices had been expanded over the last two years.

Another two new practices are to open soon in Bridgend and Llangollen.

There were criticisms last week from health watchdogs in Llanelli.

The local community health council said that problems seemed to have got worse in Carmarthenshire, a year after hundreds of people queued to register for a NHS dentist in Carmarthen.

Another �550,000 of the money from the assembly government will go to dentists to help manage changes, brought about by new dentist contracts,

A further �440,000 will go to local health boards to support dental advisory committees and developing dental leadership skills.

Around a third of dentists will reach retirement age in the next five years.

Stuart Geddes, national director of the British Dental Association in Wales said between 30 and 40 dentists were needed now, but he welcomed the promises of more undergraduate training.

"It is going to take up to seven years to train these dentists up, but not all of them are necessarily going to stay in Wales," said Mr Geddes.