What we check, and what we don't
We want to be precise about the checks behind every listing, because over-claiming would be misleading. Here is exactly what verification means at Dentist Locator, and where its limits are.
Last updated July 2026
We verify that a practice exists, that it appears in its nation's public regulator record, and that its core contact details match what we can find publicly. We check routinely and accept corrections from practices. We are not a regulator, so we do not assess clinical quality or safety, but we do link to the regulators' published reports.
What "regulated" means here
Every practice on the site is checked against the official regulator's published register for its nation. When you see "CQC regulated" (or HIW, HIS, RQIA), it means the practice appears on that regulator's public register, so you know it's a real, regulated dental service. It does not mean the regulator endorses us or the practice, and it is not a clinical endorsement, a safety rating, or a guarantee.
Who regulates dentists in the UK
- England: CQC (Care Quality Commission)
- Wales: HIW (Healthcare Inspectorate Wales)
- Scotland: HIS (Healthcare Improvement Scotland) and NHS boards
- Northern Ireland: RQIA (Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority)
These regulators register and inspect dental practices. Importantly, they publish inspection reports but do not give dental practices a consumer star rating. For example, CQC does not currently rate dental services the way it rates GPs or care homes. So any star rating you see on our site comes from patient reviews, clearly labelled as such, never from a regulator.
Checks we carry out
- Existence & identity: the practice appears in its nation's regulator record (CQC, HIW, HIS or RQIA) and resolves to a real address.
- Regulatory standing: we record the regulator's published registration status and, where available, the date of that information.
- Contact details: we cross-check name, address, phone and website against public sources and flag mismatches.
- NHS dental treatment: we show what NHS Business Services Authority contract records tell us about NHS treatment at each practice, including the most recent month it was delivered. Practices with a managed listing update this themselves.
- Direct corrections: Correcting mistakes in existing content is free. Adding new content needs a plan. That holds whatever the field, on any listing. We build listings from public records, so a mistake in what we publish is ours to put right. New content means anything we do not already hold: prices next to your treatments, photos, video, social media links, an online booking link, or more in the sections we only show partially, such as more treatments than we found or more of your team than the two we show. A plan adds those, and the practice then keeps them current itself.
- Routine re-checks: we check listing details routinely; how often depends on the field and the source (see Methodology).
What a managed listing changes
When a practice manages its own listing, it takes responsibility for keeping that information accurate and not misleading, in the same way it is responsible for its own website. Sections the practice maintains carry a note saying so, so you can tell them apart from information we have sourced independently.
Checks we do not carry out
- Clinical competence or treatment quality of any dentist or practice.
- Real-time appointment availability, or whether a practice can see you urgently.
- Whether a particular treatment is clinically right for you.
For anything that affects your care or money, NHS availability, prices, opening hours, or whether you can be seen, confirm it directly with the practice before you rely on it.
Ratings & reviews
Where we show a star rating, it reflects public patient reviews, as last collected on the date shown. It is not our own assessment and we do not adjust it. We never invent ratings. If we ever introduce our own user reviews, we will treat that as a full compliance project under UK rules on fake and incentivised reviews, with clear labelling.
When something looks wrong
If a detail on your practice's listing is out of date or incorrect, please tell us. Use our correction form. We check corrections against the regulator's record, action them as soon as we can, and prioritise anything that could mislead someone about their care. Full detail: Corrections and Plans.