What is the role of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in dental practices?

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) plays a crucial role in regulating and inspecting health and social care services, which includes dental practices. Its primary purpose is to ensure that these services meet certain standards of quality and safety for patients. The CQC conducts regular inspections and assessments to evaluate how well dental practices are performing, ensuring that they provide safe, effective, caring, and responsive services.

By regulating dental practices, the CQC aims to safeguard the interests of patients and promote high standards of care. This also involves monitoring the implementation of policies and ensuring that dental practices comply with the relevant legislation.

In contrast to the other options, the CQC does not provide dental education, standardize fees, or specifically monitor hygiene practices alone; while hygiene practices are part of the overall evaluation of quality care in inspections, the broader role of the CQC encompasses overall service regulation and safety assurance.