People who used the service understood the care and treatment choices available to them. We spoke with people when we visited the practice. People told us “Me and my family have been coming to the practice for many years and are always given choices” and “I trust my dentist who always explains the treatments to me”.

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

There were effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. People that we spoke with said that the surgery was always clean and that they had no concerns about cleanliness or risk of infection. The dental nurses we spoke with knew that they had to transport used instruments via a specific route in each treatment room and not to cross into a 'clean zone'.

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.