A shortage of false teeth is looming as new regulations threaten to put thousands of denture-makers out of business.
An estimated 5,000 dental technicians, known as denturists, make more than half of the false teeth used by Britain's estimated 13 million denture wearers.
Under rules introduced by the General Dental Council, denturists will be banned from working in the UK unless they have passed an approved course and have registered with the GDC.
However, the nearest course is 3,500 miles away in Toronto, and costs £14,000. To date, only six British denturists have enrolled.
After July 31, those who continue to work without having registered will face fines of up to £5,000 and a prison sentence of up to six months.
A spokeswoman for the GDC denied that the rules would lead to a shortage and said that denturists would still be able to manufacture false teeth if they registered and performed their work under dentists' supervision.
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