Patients we spoke with told us they were very satisfied with the care and treatment they received. They told us the dentists explained treatments and gave plenty of good information to support what they were doing.

We looked at records and found in most cases they were completed accurately. We found that paper records were not stored securely.

We found that health assessments were undertaken and reviewed at regular intervals. Care and treatment plans were discussed including options, risks and benefits of treatment. Staff were trained in emergency procedures. Emergency equipment was checked and accessible. There were appropriate policies, procedures and risk assessments in place for radiological safety. We found there were sufficient numbers of suitably experienced and qualified staff in order to care safely for the patients.

We found the practice was compliant with the essential quality requirements of Health Technical Memorandum 01-05: Decontamination in primary care dental practices (HTM01-05). The HTM 01-05 is designed to assist all registered primary dental care services meet satisfactory levels of decontamination. Evidence was seen of the practice having undertaken regular audits which demonstrated compliance with HTM01-05 standards.

We spoke with people who used the service. They were very happy with the care and treatment provided. When asked what they thought of the service patients responded: “Excellent”, “Absolutely excellent”, “No problem – very helpful and accommodating”. They told us they were able to access services easily, they were very accommodating and waiting times were minimal. They said they were put at ease by the skill and experience demonstrated by the staff. They confirmed the dentist always explained what they were doing and what they had found during examination. Patients said they were given plenty of good understandable information and everything was clearly explained. They commented that the practice appeared very clean. They told us staff always wore protective equipment such as face masks, eye goggles, gloves and patients were always asked to wear protective eye wear and aprons. We were told: “The cleanliness is first rate”.