Information about the dental practice was displayed in the waiting area. The patient information folder listed the facilities and emergency dental care arrangements, what to do if they people not happy with any aspects of their dental care and the surgery opening hours.

We spoke with those staff who were on duty about child protection issues and care of vulnerable adults. They demonstrated an awareness of the differing types of abuse and said that any concerns they had would be reported to the 'lead person'. The lead person was able to talk about the reporting protocols and demonstrated an awareness of reporting procedures.

General Dental Council registration was up to date for each of the dentists and the qualified dental nurses. They each had to submit evidence of continued professional development (CPD) every three years 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 clean and ‘very well’ maintained and that they had no concerns about cleanliness or risk of infection.

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people’s safety and welfare. The eight people we spoke with told us that were involved in making decisions about their dental care, were told about options in treatment plans and were informed of costs.