- Dentist
Smile Dental Care Plymouth Also known as Smile Dental Care Group - Plymouth
Assessment report published 22 October 2025
Contents
Judgements
Our view of the service
We carried out this announced on-site inspection on 15 July 2025.
We found the practice had not met all regulations.
The practice had systems to identify and manage risks, including infection prevention and control, but improvements were needed to ensure these were consistently effective.
Recruitment procedures reflected current legislation, but improvements were needed in record keeping and risk assessments to strengthen compliance.
Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to carry out their roles.
Staff provided care and treatment in line with current guidance. They treated patients with dignity and respect and ensured access to care, support, and treatment when required.
Smile Dental Care Plymouth is part of Smile Dental Care, a dental group provider. The practice is in Plymouth, Devon and provides NHS and private dental care and treatment for adults and children.
There was step-free access to the practice and car parking spaces were available near the practice.
The practice had 8 treatment rooms. At the time of our inspection, there were a total of 24 staff, of which there were 7 dentists, 9 dental nurses (3 qualified and 6 trainees), a dental therapist, 4 receptionists, a cleaner, a practice manager and a registered manager.
We gathered feedback from staff and spoke to a range of staff during our inspection, including 2 dentists, 2 dental nurses, 1 dental therapist, 1 receptionist, the practice manager. The practice owner, the group’s area manager, the operations director and a covering practice manager were also present.
The provider was not complying with Regulation 15, premises and equipment and Regulation 17, good governance. Full details of the regulations the provider was not meeting are within the assessment findings below.
We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.
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 did not receive any feedback prior to our inspection. On the day of our inspection, we received 3 feedback forms from patients and given a further 11 forms which were collected by the provider prior to our inspection.
Patient feedback provided a positive view of the dental team and care provided by the practice.
Patients commented positively about the standards of cleanliness.
Patients felt able to book appointments within an acceptable timescale for their needs and said they had enough time during their appointment without feeling rushed.
Patients told us they were given clear information to help them make an informed choice about their treatment and any associated costs. They were involved in decisions about their care.
Patients told us that when they were prescribed medicines, sufficient information was given.
We discussed the mixed online reviews with the practice, including identified trends and their responses. The practice explained that they were currently unable to respond to the reviews. However, they were aware of both the positive and negative feedback and regularly shared this with staff to support ongoing improvement.