General Dental Council registration was up to date for each of the dentists and the qualified dental nurses. They each had to submit evidence of continued professional development (CPD) each year in order to retain their registration.

The dentists and dental nurses who worked at the surgery had Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosures in place (now called DBS – Disclosure and Barring Service). These checks were undertaken to ensure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people and children.

The dentist and dental nurses we spoke with were aware of the Department of Health guidance for dental practice decontamination: Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 01-05. The lead dentist had responsibility for infection control and decontamination procedures.

The practice provided mainly private dental work; some NHS dental treatment was provided. The practice was able to fit emergency dental appointments in as needed and we heard the receptionist offering appointments to people who had telephoned the practice for appointments.