When we inspected New Road Dental Practice on 09 January 2014 we found that people were provided with information about their treatment and they were asked for their consent. One person told us, “They are very good, very informative. I was given a temporary filling and lots of information about the two options to deal with my problem.” Another person said, “I can ask lots of questions and [the dentist] always has time to talk it through.”

People’s needs were assessed and treatment was planned and delivered in line with those individual needs. This included an assessment of people's general health, their medical history and the use of photographs and x-rays where appropriate. One person told us, “I always get asked about my medical history at each visit.” Another person said, “[The dentist] shows me a blow-up photograph of my teeth [on a screen in the surgery] so I know precisely what I need.”

The practice operated a decontamination cycle in accordance with Department of Health instructions on decontamination. There was also a recently updated infection control policy in place that staff had read and understood.

Staff were supported to deliver safe treatment through appropriate training and an effective appraisal system.

The provider had an effective system of governance in place that protected people from unsafe practice. This system involved the efficient management of practice policies and procedures and a range of audits.