The provider had raised this as a topic at a team meeting. All dental staff had completed external training on protecting vulnerable adults. Staff had signed to say they had read and understood information from the British Dental Association about the implications of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
People spoken with told us they were involved in their treatment decisions and the dentist explained clearly what the pros and cons of their treatment. One person told us that they had recently had a crown fitted. They said that they were unaware what colour their crown would be, this had made them anxious. This meant the person was not fully involved in their treatment choices. We informed the provider of these concerns, who told us that they would feed this back to the dentists.
People spoken with told us they could make routine appointments easily. We were told appointments were usually made in advance after their check up. They said that they received a reminder text on their mobile. One person told us that this was really useful as they could often forget appointment times. People told us they were able to make emergency appointments and usually they would be seen by the dentist within 48 hours.
We found that there were some concerns about how the practice got consent from vulnerable adults who used the service.