Clear routines
Documented procedures help the team handle recurring clinical and administrative tasks consistently.
Dental Practice Accredited
The systems behind a well-run dental visit
Practice accreditation involves an independent assessment of systems and processes against recognised healthcare standards. These systems include infection control, clinical records, staff responsibilities, communication and ongoing quality improvement.
Regular review
Processes are checked over time so the practice can identify gaps, respond to changes and improve how care is delivered.
Better handovers
Good records and team communication help important information carry from reception to the surgery and from one appointment to the next.
Practice standards
Areas covered by practice accreditation
Training, review, and team communication help clinical and administrative team members follow the same documented practice procedures.
Infection control systems
Sterilisation, surgery preparation, clinical cleanliness, and instrument handling are supported by consistent, documented procedures.
Quality improvement
Review is part of accreditation. It helps practices identify where a process needs updating and where risks may be reduced.
Patient information and communication
Documented processes support the way findings, options, costs, consent, and follow-up information are communicated.
Clinical and general risk management
The aim is to make important tasks visible and consistent, from medical history updates through to handover, follow-up, and appointment planning.
Quality improvement
Accreditation supports consistent procedures across the practice.
A dental visit involves many small handovers: reception to surgery, dentist to assistant, clinician to records, and treatment plan to follow-up. Documenting those steps allows the practice to check how they are working and make changes when needed.
- 01
Policies guide the routine details
Documented procedures cover areas such as infection control, clinical records, patient information, and support tasks.
- 02
The team checks and updates processes
Accreditation encourages ongoing review, so systems can be refined when standards change or the team identifies a better way to work.
- 03
Changes become part of daily practice
When a process is updated, documented procedures and team communication help make that change consistent across the practice.
For patients
How practice systems support your visit
You may notice that we ask you to update your medical history, confirm details, review a treatment plan or discuss consent before treatment. These steps are part of making sure the information around your care is current and documented.
- Medical history, allergies, medications, and patient preferences are recorded so they can be considered when care is planned.
- Clinical notes and treatment plans document findings, consent discussions, decisions, and follow-up.
- Infection control procedures guide clinical space preparation, instrument handling, and sterilisation.
- Patient information processes support discussions about recommendations, fees, alternatives, and follow-up.
Your questions
A structured approach to practice standards
Accreditation provides a framework for reviewing how a dental practice manages its systems, procedures and responsibilities. It supports regular review and ongoing improvement across the practice.
Practice Questions
Questions about accreditation and the practice
Plain-language answers about practice accreditation, infection control, records, patient communication, and the limits of accreditation.
Practice accreditation means the practice has undergone an assessment of its systems and processes against recognised healthcare standards. This may include areas such as clinical governance, infection control, record keeping, communication and ongoing quality improvement.
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