We visited Merton Park Dental Practice to check that improvements had been made in relation to the concerns that we had raised at our last inspection. Our visit was unannounced and neither the dentist nor their nurse were there. However, we were able to talk to them both on the phone. The receptionist was able to show us where some improvements had been made. Since our inspection the dentist has provided us with other evidence to show that our concerns have been addressed.

All of the people that we spoke with during our inspection visit were very happy with the service provided by the dentist. They told us "he's very kind, very gentle, and explains everything well". One person said "it was all very efficient, I am going to recommend him to people".

People all confirmed that their treatment had been explained to them, along with any options that might be available. They had signed a form to give their consent to treatment and knew beforehand what it would cost.

However, our inspection visit did raise some concerns. We saw that equipment and drugs for use in an emergency situation were out of date. This meant that people may not always be safe in the event of them having an adverse reaction to their treatment.

Records to show that equipment used for decontamination and sterilisation was properly checked and maintained were not available. This meant that we could not be sure that people were protected from the risks of cross contamination and cross infection. People's personal treatment records were not stored securely. This meant that their confidentiality could not be assured.