When we carried out our visit on 23 April 2013 we saw that robust and effective systems had been implemented so as to regularly monitor, assess and improve the quality and safety of services provided.
Patients' records we looked at included treatment plans and information about the dental treatments and procedures provided. The provider may wish to develop patients' records so that they show that treatment options, risks and benefits are explained and that where advice is given around good oral hygiene, diet, smoking cessation and alcohol consumption that this is recorded as part of delivering a holistic approach to care and treatment.
People told us that they felt safe using the service and there were suitable arrangements in place to protect people from the risk of abuse.
At the time of our visit the dentist was reliant upon the use of temporary agency dental nurse staff while they were in the process of recruiting new permanent staff. The dentist assured us that they would obtain and keep records about the skills, knowledge and experience of all temporary staff so as to show that staff were suitable to work within the practice.
Improvements are needed to ensure that the quality and safety of the service is regularly monitored, assessed and improved where needed, including obtaining the views of patients and carrying out regular audits and checks on the service.