We undertook this follow up visit in response to concerns that we had identified during our previous inspection of the service in February 2014. Our visit was discussed and arranged with the provider in advance so that any disruption to people’s care and treatment were minimised.

At our previous inspection we found that the dentist (who was also the provider) was not meeting the appropriate standard for cleanliness and infection control. The dentist did not always wear gloves when delivering care and treatment to people to help minimise the risk of cross infection.

The provider sent us an action plan following the inspection in February 2014 detailing the action they were going to take to address this issue. During this inspection we spoke to the dentist, a receptionist and eight people who used the service by telephone or in person. We found that the provider had taken appropriate action to minimise the risk of cross infection by wearing gloves when providing treatment. This was confirmed by the people we spoke with.

We spoke with 13 people who used the service and a relative of two people who used the service. They were all generally pleased with the service and provided examples of good practice. One person said, “I get sorted out straight away”, another person told us, “Nothing is done unnecessarily”. People confirmed that the dentists always explained their treatment options to them and that they were involved in making decisions about their treatment.

We observed as the dentist treated three people. They took care to make a thorough examination and make people feel at ease. They provided reassurance and advice about dental care and health.

We found there were arrangements for infection control at the practice. These included the use of protective equipment and procedures for keeping the premises and the instruments clean. However the dentist did not always wear gloves to reduce the risk of cross infection when they provided treatment.

Our visit was discussed and arranged with the practice a couple of days in advance. This was to ensure that we had time to see and speak to staff working at the practice, as well as people registered with the practice. We asked the staff at the practice to issue a questionnaire to some of the people who received a service. We received six completed questionnaires.

As part of our visit, we spoke with six people who were registered with the practice. We also spoke with the dentists and their staff about working at the practice.

People that used the practice told us that they were happy with the quality of treatment received. They felt they were given enough information about their treatment options and were able to ask all the questions they wanted to. Their comments included:

‘Always found them to be very good.’

‘Friendly and caring nurses.’

‘I have always been happy with the service I have been given.’

People who were very nervous about going to the dentist told us that the staff were very patient with them. Staff reassured them throughout their treatment, putting them at ease. We were told staff were sensitive to the needs of people with a disability.

People told us that the practice was clean and tidy and that they had no concerns about hygiene. Two people commented that the dentist did not always wear gloves when carrying out dental treatment.