7 December 2012
During a routine inspection
People felt that they had been given sufficient information about their care and treatment. The dental surgeon and hygienists used pictures, props and people's x-rays to explain the treatment required. A detailed medical history was taken for each person and any allergies or medical conditions were highlighted to remind staff before each appointment. People were given after-care advice following surgery, which included the emergency contact number for the dental surgeon. There was emergency equipment available and staff had received basic life support training.
There were effective systems in place to reduce the risk of infection. The decontamination of instruments took place in a designated area in one of the surgeries. Staff were able to describe the decontamination process to us and provide evidence to show that daily and weekly checks were carried out on the equipment.
The necessary checks had been carried out on prospective employees before they could start work. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service, but no audits had been undertaken and staff meetings were not minuted.