We spoke with eight patients, two dental nurses, the practice supervisor and the principal dentist.

Patients told us that the dentists discussed their dental health, provided treatment options and enabled them to make informed choices in their own time. They told us that they were made aware of any treatment costs they would have to pay and whether the treatment was being provided on the NHS or privately. One patient told us “My dentist offers me the NHS and private options and it’s up to me which one I choose.” Another patient commented “The practice is very clear about the costs and I am always given time to think about what I want to do.”

All of the patients we spoke with were satisfied with the dental care they received from the practice. One patient told us “The practice is so efficient; all of the staff are so helpful and they make sure that all of my needs are met.”

The practice was clean and tidy. There were systems in place to ensure that the risk of health care associated infection was minimised. The practice was meeting all of the requirements for decontamination and cleanliness for dental practices as determined by current legislation.

We found that there were effective recruitment and selection processes in place for the recruitment and management of staff, and the staff had had the necessary recruitment checks.

We looked at information from patient feedback forms and other audits undertaken by the provider to assess the quality of the service. There were a number of audits undertaken by the practice to ensure an effective service was being provided to patients.