Little Bryony Robinson has had an abscess on her tooth for more than five weeks, her face is swollen and she cries every day with pain.

She needs a general anaesthetic to remove the baby tooth from her gum - but cannot have it done in York before next week.

Today four-year-old Bryony will go to Seacroft Hospital, in Leeds, where they have a operating slot available, to have it finally removed.

Under new Department of Health guidelines dentists will not be able to use general anaesthetics in their surgeries from the end of this year - changes aimed at ending the small number of deaths that have occurred in the dental chair nationally.

As a result Bryony's dental practice, Robson, Nicholson and Alpin, in Blossom Street, no longer has the facilities and referred her to the community dental services emergency clinic at Monkgate.

She was offered an assessment appointment this week followed by a possible operation in York District Hospital next week.

But Kristina and Bryony's dentist chose to have the surgery done in Leeds because she did not feel she could let her daughter suffer any longer.

Kristina said: "Bryony is in a lot of pain. She needs an anaesthetic because she won't even open her mouth anymore."

Vivien Crabb, clinical director for community dental services in York, said: "Extra provision is being sought nation-wide by community dental services who are facing pressure as a result of the closure of general anaesthetic services in dental surgeries. The intentions are right from a safety point of view, but we need funding to compensate."

Former president of the British Dental Association Stuart Robson, who used to work in the practice Bryony attends, said: "I don't blame the dental health services in York or the hospital. If the Government want to introduce these guidelines then it should make provisions for alternative arrangements away from surgeries."

Updated: 10:39 Friday, June 22, 2001