- Dentist
Your New Smile Harwell
Assessment report published 10 January 2026
Contents
Judgements
Our view of the service
We carried out this announced on-site inspection on 16 December 2025.
We found the practice had not met all regulations.
Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and ensured access to care, support, and treatment when required.
The practice had safeguarding processes, and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding.
Staff obtained patients’ consent to care and treatment in line with legislation and guidance.
We found shortfalls in appropriately assessing and mitigating risks in relation to the control of substances hazardous to health, emergency medicines, legionella, equipment maintenance and infection prevention and control.
Although recruitment procedures reflected current legislation, these were not always followed, and oversight should be improved.
The management of fire safety required improvement to ensure national guidance was followed.
Although there are issues to be addressed, the impact of our concerns relates to the governance and the oversight of the risks, rather than a patient safety risk.
The practice is in Didcot and provides private dental care and treatment for adults and children.
There was step-free access to the practice and car parking spaces available, including dedicated parking for disabled people, outside the practice.
The practice had 3 treatment rooms of which 2 were in use.
At the time of our inspection, there was a total of 3 staff, of which there was 1 dentist, 1 receptionist and a dental nurse who is also the practice manager.
The service provides cosmetic treatments, some of which are not in scope of CQC regulation and are not covered in our inspection.
The provider was not complying with one regulation. Full details of the regulation the provider was not meeting are within the inspection report.
We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this inspection.
People's experience of this service
Two weeks before our inspection, we asked the practice to encourage patients to share their views of the service with us. We received feedback from 4 patients.
Patient feedback provided a positive view of the dental team and care provided by the practice.
Comments included:
“The dentist explained the entire procedure from start to finish (at my request), looking at X-rays, showing me instruments etc. They answered all my questions and kept checking if I had any more.
During the procedure they stressed that I was in control and how to pause proceedings for any reason. The actual extraction was quick, and they kept updating me on how it was going e.g. that's half out now.
Aftercare was explained carefully and thoroughly, with many pauses to check I had understood or had any questions. I was given the same information printed out to take away. I can't fault my care from both the dentist and the dental nurse and would not hesitate to recommend them.”
“Highly recommend this dentist if you have a phobia.”
“I just want to say the care everybody showed to not just me but to other patients in there, they don’t seem to be money driven it’s more about care, they go through lots of options, for whatever you can afford.”
“Very polite compassionate professional staff. Listens to your needs. Explains the plan and costs prior to treatment. Excellent care 100%.”
The practice shared patient feedback with the team. We were told this was reviewed and where suggestions had been made, appropriate action would be taken.