Health & Safety | Dental Care Ireland

Our commitment

Dental Care Ireland takes its responsibilities under health and safety legislation seriously. We hold ourselves to high standards of compliance across every practice, not because we have to, but because the wellbeing of our people and our patients depends on it.
Our Health & Safety policy sets out clear expectations for how we identify, manage, and reduce risk across the group. It is reviewed regularly, applied consistently, and owned at every level of the organisation, from practice floor to senior leadership.

Patient safety

Safe, well-maintained environments at every practice, every day.

Staff wellbeing

A workplace where every team member feels protected and supported.

Regulatory compliance

Full alignment with Irish H&S legislation and healthcare sector requirements.

Continuous improvement

Ongoing review, audit, and learning to keep our standards moving forward.

Infection prevention & control

Infection prevention and control (IPC) is a fundamental part of safe dental practice. At Dental Care Ireland, we follow rigorous IPC protocols across all of our practices, in line with national guidelines and best practice standards for healthcare settings in Ireland.

Our approach ensures that every patient receives care in a clean, safe, and properly decontaminated environment, and that our clinical teams are protected from the risk of cross-infection at all times.

Our IPC programme covers:

Decontamination and sterilisation of all clinical instruments in line with HSE and Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) guidelines
Single-use equipment policies where appropriate
Hand hygiene protocols for all clinical and non-clinical staff
Personal protective equipment (PPE) standards and usage
Surface disinfection and environmental cleaning between every patient
Waste segregation and disposal in compliance with healthcare waste regulations
Regular IPC audits across all practices, with findings reviewed and acted upon

All clinical staff receive IPC training as part of their induction and on an ongoing basis. Our IPC standards are overseen centrally by our Clinical & Compliance team and reviewed regularly to reflect any updates to national guidance.

Radiation safety

Dental radiography is a routine part of diagnosis and treatment planning. At Dental Care Ireland, we take our obligations under radiation safety legislation seriously and operate in full compliance with the Radiological Protection Act and the relevant European Union Basic Safety Standards Directive as implemented in Ireland.

We apply the ALARA principle (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) to all radiographic procedures, ensuring that radiation exposure is always justified, optimised, and limited to what is clinically necessary.

Our radiation safety programme includes:

Radiation Protection Advisor (RPA) and Radiation Protection Officer (RPO) appointed to provide expert guidance and oversight
Written radiation protection rules and local rules displayed and maintained at every practice
Regular equipment quality assurance testing to ensure all X-ray units are functioning correctly and safely
Clinical justification for every radiographic exposure, in line with the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations
Patient dose records maintained and monitored
Staff training on radiation safety, equipment use, and regulatory obligations

Our radiation safety protocols are reviewed regularly and updated in line with any changes to Irish or EU legislation. All radiographic equipment across the group is registered and maintained in accordance with regulatory requirements.

Medical emergencies

While medical emergencies in dental practice are uncommon, being prepared to respond quickly and effectively is a core part of our duty of care to every patient. Dental Care Ireland maintains robust medical emergency protocols across all of our practices, ensuring that every team member knows what to do if an emergency arises.
Our approach is built around prevention, preparedness, and rapid response.

Prevention

Every patient completes a thorough medical history at their first visit and at regular intervals thereafter. Our clinical teams are trained to identify risk factors and take appropriate precautions before treatment begins. Where necessary, advice is sought from the patient’s medical practitioner prior to any procedure.

Preparedness

All Dental Care Ireland practices are equipped with a medical emergency kit that meets the requirements set out by the Dental Council of Ireland and the Irish Dental Association. Emergency equipment is checked regularly and restocked as required.

Our preparedness measures include:

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) available at all practices
Emergency drug kits maintained and checked in line with regulatory guidance
Oxygen and airway management equipment on site at every practice
Clear emergency action plans displayed and accessible to all staff
Regular medical emergency simulation training for clinical and support teams

Rapid response

All clinical staff are trained in Basic Life Support (BLS) and the management of medical emergencies in the dental setting. Training is updated regularly to ensure skills remain current. In the event of a medical emergency, our teams are trained to act immediately, call emergency services without delay, and provide appropriate support until help arrives.

Staff training & responsibilities

Every member of the Dental Care Ireland team has a role to play in maintaining a safe working environment. We provide structured H&S training to ensure staff at all levels understand their responsibilities and are equipped to carry them out.

All staff

Induction training covering core H&S responsibilities, emergency procedures, and practice-specific protocols.

Clinical teams

Specialist training in infection prevention and control, radiation protection, and the safe use of clinical equipment.

Practice managers & leads

Training in risk assessment, audit preparation, legislative compliance, and their duty of care as workplace leads.

Training is delivered through a combination of in-person sessions and online modules, with records maintained centrally to support audit readiness and regulatory compliance.

Incident reporting

We operate a clear and accessible incident reporting process across all DCI practices. Staff are encouraged to report incidents, near misses, and concerns without hesitation, we treat every report as an opportunity to learn and improve.
All incidents are logged, investigated, and reviewed in line with our governance framework. Where patterns are identified, corrective actions are put in place at practice and group level. Serious incidents are escalated appropriately and managed in line with our regulatory obligations.

Dental Care Ireland Rathfarnham, Surgery

Compliance & regulatory standards

Dental Care Ireland operates in full compliance with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act and all relevant regulations applicable to healthcare environments in Ireland. This includes specific requirements around radiation protection, infection control, waste management, and fire safety.

Our compliance programme is managed centrally and embedded at practice level, ensuring that legislative requirements are not only met but understood and maintained as part of everyday operations.

Meet our H&S lead

Our Health & Safety programme is overseen by an experienced compliance professional with deep roots in clinical practice.

Vicky Turner

Clinical & Compliance Officer

Vicky has 26 years of experience in Dental Nursing across public, private, and urgent care services, including senior roles as Lead Dental Nurse in urgent care and Senior Nurse within the HSE. She currently oversees compliance across Dental Care Ireland in key clinical governance areas including infection prevention and control, radiation protection, and health and safety — ensuring services consistently meet regulatory, legislative, and best practice standards. Vicky is passionate about building strong safety cultures and embedding compliance into everyday clinical practice in a way that supports both staff and patient outcomes. She is also a qualified QQI Level 6 learning and development provider, enabling her to design and deliver training programmes that strengthen clinical standards across the group.