When we last inspected St Michael’s Dental Practice in January 2012 we found improvements were required in relation to safeguarding and infection control. We reviewed these outcomes at this inspection and found improvements had been made.

We spoke with five people who used the service, three members of staff, the practice manager and the provider. We reviewed three people’s treatment records.

People we spoke with told us they were consulted about the treatment options and made informed decisions. One person said: “They explain everything to me, nothing is done without my consent.”

People we spoke with were very satisfied with the care and treatment received. One person said: "It’s excellent here. Couldn’t be any better". Another person told us: “This place is brilliant, I wouldn’t go anywhere else”. Records we reviewed confirmed people's treatment was agreed, consent obtained and treatment plan was in place.

People told us the practice was always clean. They said staff washed their hands and wore protective clothing when carrying out any treatments. From discussions with staff and through our observations we found there were effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. The infection prevention and decontamination policies were up to date and comprehensive.

Staff we spoke with demonstrated a good understanding of the procedures for safeguarding adults and children. We saw evidence to show staff had received training in safeguarding children and adults and further updates were planned.

There was an effective complaints procedure in place. People told us they were comfortable about raising any concerns they had and said they felt confident they would be dealt with.

We did not talk to any patients as part of this inspection.