A dentist has been struck off for putting his patients at risk by reusing dirty equipment for four years.

Alan Morrison reused matrix bands, thin metal strips fitted around teeth, on different patients, failed to change his surgical gloves between patients and used instruments which should have only been used once and thrown away or sterilised being reused.

The allegations related to Mr Morrison’s conduct at his dental surgeries in Cumnock and Drongan in East Ayrshire between December 2009 and September 2013.

It follows allegations of failing to sterilise or disinfect dental instruments between treating patients, allowing staff to lay out used single use items for patient treatment and for not having adequate infection control measures at his dental practices.

During a public hearing between January 11 and February 10, the General Dental Council’s professional conduct committee (PCC) also heard allegations of dishonesty as Mr Morrison created false invoices for dental supplies and instruments he did not buy.

At the same hearing, the PCC also considered the conduct of his practice manager, Lorraine Kelly.

She faced allegations of reusing single-use items, for inadequate infection control and dishonesty responding to the investigation by NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

The committee said of Mr Morrison: "Your actions in reusing single-use items, permitting other dental nurses to include used single-use items in the instruments laid out for the treatment of patients, failing to arrange the training of your staff in cross-infection control and failing to ensure that your practices contained local decontamination units which complied with the requirements of NHS Scotland put patients at unwarranted risk of harm.

"You breached fundamental tenets of the dental profession and your actions brought the profession into disrepute.

"In addition, your dishonest conduct was a concerted effort to deliberately deceive the health board in relation to the purchase of single-use items at your practices."

Removing him from the register, the committee said: "That your woeful behaviour, as detailed in this determination, has damaged your fitness to practise and public confidence in the dental profession to the extent that removal of your professional status is the only appropriate and proportionate outcome."

The committee noted it has not seen any evidence of remorse or insight from Mrs Kelly into her dishonest conduct regarding the cross-infection control concerns and removed her from the register.

"The cross-infection control failings, the dishonest conduct and the attempt to interfere with an investigation found proved against Mrs Kelly were very serious departures from the standards of conduct expected of a registered dental care professional and fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession," it said.