We spoke with three patients, two dentists (one being the provider), and three members of staff.

Patients told us and we saw from patient written feedback they were satisfied with the service. One patient told us "it's a friendly service. You get good care." Another patient said "it's (the treatment) excellent. Very good. They fix everything."

We looked at 13 patient records. The notes indicated patients were well informed of the options available. They had comprehensive treatment plans which patients signed as consent to the treatment and costs.

Staff followed guidance from the Mental Capacity Act (2005) to support patients with impaired mental capacity.

Staff we spoke with were aware of the legal requirements of consent with regards to treatment for children.

We saw from patients' records appropriate referrals were made to other healthcare professionals.

The provider had information in reception to inform patients of the complaints procedure. The patients we spoke with were confident their concerns would be dealt with promptly and effectively.

We spoke with six patients when we visited and they told us they were involved in making decisions about treatment plans, were given explanations about options available and the costs involved. Patients were given information about their treatment, after care information and details about how to contact the dentist out of normal hours.

The surgery provided routine dental treatment with an emphasis on preventative dental care and good oral hygiene. Where patients needed orthodontic treatment or more complex root canal surgery referral was made to other specialist dental providers. Patients were looked after by appropriately qualified, skilled and experienced staff. All staff who worked at the surgery had criminal records disclosures in place, to ensure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people and children.

The waiting areas and treatment rooms were clean and tidy. In the recent patient questionnaire completed in November 2012, 100% of respondents said that the practice always looked clean and tidy, with 95% confident that they were protected from infection and 5% being quite confident. Decontamination of dental instruments was in line with essential quality requirements, with further improvements scheduled to be in place by end of February 2013. Patients who used the surgery were asked for their views about their dental experience and there were systems in place to identify, assess and manage risks to the health, safety and welfare of patients and staff.