Dental Excellence

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

We found this practice was providing effective care in accordance with the relevant regulations and had taken into consideration appropriate guidance.

Find out what we look at when we assess this area in our information about our new Single assessment framework.

The judgement for Assessing needs is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.

Processes

The provider had systems to ensure that people who used the service received person-centred, care and treatment, which was appropriate, met their needs and was reflective of their personal preferences.

Preventive oral health care was encouraged.

The dentists kept up to date with current evidence-based practice, and had the skills, knowledge, and experience to carry out their roles but improvement was needed. Specifically, when we looked at a sample of patient care records, we found they were not consistently completed in line with recognised guidance. Discussions, including risks and treatment options, tooth wear and cancer screening checks were not always documented.

Clinicians made periodontal diagnosis, but this was not in line with the current 2018 classification used in UK dentistry,

Staff obtained patients’ consent to care and treatment in line with legislation and guidance, but this was not recorded consistently in patients' records.

We have since received evidence to confirm that these shortfalls have been addressed.

Staff described how they involved patients’ relatives or carers when appropriate and made sure they had enough time to explain treatment options clearly. Staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005

We saw evidence the dentists justified, graded, and reported on the radiographs they took.

Where applicable, patients were referred to primary and secondary care specialists for treatment the practice did not provide. This included referring patients with suspected cancer under the national Faster Diagnosis Standard.

Dispensed medicines were not stock controlled. We have since received evidence to confirm that this shortfall has been addressed.

The judgement for How staff, teams and services work together is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.

The judgement for Supporting people to live healthier lives is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.

The judgement for Monitoring and improving outcomes is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.

The judgement for Consent to care and treatment is based on the latest evidence we assessed for the Effective key question.