Our Data Sources
DentistFinder is built on official, publicly available datasets published by NHS and government bodies. We don't scrape data from other directories or rely on practices to self-report. Here's exactly where our data comes from:
NHS Organisation Data Service (ODS)
digital.nhs.uk/services/organisation-data-service
ODS is the authoritative source for all NHS dental practice registrations in England. We use it to get each practice's ODS code, official name, address, and operational status (active, closed, etc.). This data is published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Care Quality Commission (CQC)
api.cqc.org.uk
The CQC regulates and inspects all dental practices in England. We use their public API to enrich our listings with inspection data, specialisms, service types, and facilities. CQC data helps patients understand the quality and scope of care at each practice.
NHS Dental Acceptance Data
nhs.uk open data feeds
We pull acceptance status from NHS data feeds to show whether a practice is accepting new NHS adult patients, child patients, or referral-only patients. This data changes frequently, which is why we also supplement it with community verification from real patients.
Community Contributions
Official data can be slow to update. To bridge the gap, DentistFinder allows real patients to verify acceptance status through community voting and to share their experiences through moderated reviews. Community data is always shown alongside its source, so you know whether information comes from official records or patient reports.
Data Freshness
We re-import data from our sources on a regular schedule to keep listings as accurate as possible:
| Source | Update Frequency | Licence |
|---|---|---|
| NHS ODS | Monthly | Open Government Licence v3.0 |
| CQC API | Weekly | Open Government Licence v3.0 |
| NHS Acceptance Data | Daily | Open Government Licence v3.0 |
| Community Votes | Real-time | User-contributed |
Each practice listing shows when its data was last updated. If you notice information that's out of date, please let us know.
Accuracy Disclaimer
While we make every effort to keep our data accurate and up to date, we cannot guarantee that all information is correct at any given moment. Acceptance status in particular can change at short notice. We always recommend calling a practice directly to confirm they are accepting new patients before visiting. DentistFinder is an information service and does not provide medical advice.