20 February 2014
During a routine inspection
We asked NHS Devon for their comments because they have a monitoring role in the commissioning of NHS dental care at this practice. NHS Devon reported there were no concerns with this practice.
Patients made positive comments about their experience of treatment at the dental practice. For example, a patient said 'I always feel relaxed and my dentist always does his best to keep me that way'. A second patient told us 'I've always found it very good. It's easy to get an appointment and you're in the chair within minutes of arriving'. A third patient said 'My experience is always excellent, one of the best dentists I've ever been to'. We followed four patient's appointments from start to finish. We saw the dentist and hygienists always asked patients about their health and explained treatment options with each person before starting.
The practice had systems in place which meant patients were safe and well cared for. For example, the environment was clean and equipment safe to use because decontamination and cleaning procedures were robust. A patient commented 'I've never come away and caught anything like an infection. The regime they follow works and I'm completely confident about what they do'. We observed the team of staff were motivated to make patients experience a positive one, and they had a caring attitude towards patients.