Privacy Policy

1. Information we collect

We collect information reasonably needed to provide dental care, manage appointments and operate the practice. Depending on your interaction with us, this may include:

• Your name, date of birth, address, telephone number and email address.
• Medical and dental history, medications, allergies, examination findings, diagnoses, treatment plans, clinical notes, X-rays, photographs and dental scans.
• Details of a parent, guardian, carer, emergency contact or other authorised representative.
• Appointment details, correspondence, consent records and communication preferences.
• Billing and payment records, health fund details and relevant Medicare, concession or Department of Veterans’ Affairs information.
• Information you provide in an enquiry, feedback or complaint, or when applying to work with us or supplying services.

We generally obtain information from you during consultations, on forms, by telephone or email, or through appointment services. Where appropriate and lawful, we may obtain relevant information from your authorised representative, referring dentist, doctor, specialist, dental laboratory, insurer or booking provider. We collect health information with consent unless the law permits or requires collection without it.

If you provide information about someone else, please ensure you have authority to do so. For children and people needing assistance, we consider their capacity, confidentiality rights and the representative’s legal authority.

You may make a general enquiry anonymously or using a pseudonym where lawful and practicable. For clinical care, we usually need to identify you and obtain sufficient health information to treat you safely. If necessary information is withheld, we may be unable to provide some services or process a benefit claim.

2. How we use and share information

We use information to assess dental needs, provide and coordinate care, arrange referrals, manage appointments and follow-up, communicate about treatment, process accounts and claims, respond to enquiries and complaints, and meet professional and legal responsibilities.

Information may be shared, where relevant and legally permitted, with:

• Dentists, practice staff and other healthcare professionals involved in your care.
• Dental laboratories and technicians preparing appliances, restorations or other treatment items.
• Your authorised representative, subject to your consent or another lawful basis.
• Health funds, Medicare, DVA and payment providers for relevant claims and payments.
• Providers supporting practice software, bookings, communications, record storage, IT, accounting, insurance or professional advice.
• Regulators, courts or other authorities where disclosure is required or authorised by law.

We limit disclosure to information appropriate for the purpose. A use or disclosure outside the original purpose or a directly related purpose you would reasonably expect generally requires your consent, unless a legal exception applies. Exceptions can include responding to a serious threat to health or safety.

3. Reminders and marketing preferences

We may contact you about appointments, treatment, recalls, accounts and practice arrangements. Please tell reception how you prefer to be contacted and whether messages can be left for you.

If we send promotional communications, we will comply with applicable consent requirements and provide a way to opt out. You can also opt out by contacting reception. Declining marketing does not prevent necessary communications about your care or account. Health information will not be used for direct marketing without your consent.

4. Website and online services

Our website links to Henry Schein One for online bookings and includes Google Maps. These services have their own privacy policies. When you use an external booking service, information you submit may be provided to us to organise your appointment.

Website hosting and third-party content providers may receive technical information such as your IP address, browser details and request times when a page or embedded service loads. Cookies or similar technologies may be used by those providers. Browser settings can limit cookies, although some features may be affected. Please review the relevant provider’s privacy information before submitting personal information.

Cookies and third-party services

We do not use website analytics tracking. Hosting services, externally loaded fonts and Google Maps may receive technical information and may use cookies or similar technologies under their own policies. External booking and profile websites apply their own cookie choices and privacy policies when you visit them. You can manage cookies through your browser settings.

For sensitive clinical documents, contact reception to arrange a suitable transfer method. Ordinary email is not guaranteed to be secure. Reading this policy or browsing our website does not, by itself, constitute consent to unrelated uses of your health information.

5. Overseas service providers

Technology and external website services may involve processing outside Australia. Any proposed overseas disclosure of information held by our practice must be assessed against applicable Australian and NSW privacy requirements. Where required, we will take reasonable steps to ensure the recipient protects the information, or establish another lawful basis for the disclosure.

If an overseas dental laboratory is proposed for your treatment, we will explain the arrangement and destination country. You can ask reception about providers and processing locations relevant to your care. We will update this policy with likely overseas recipient countries where practicable as those arrangements are confirmed. This policy does not ask you to waive your privacy rights for overseas transfers.

6. Security and record retention

Patient records may include paper documents, digital records and clinical images. We take reasonable steps to protect information from loss, misuse and unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure, and to limit access to people who need it for an authorised purpose. No electronic transmission or storage method is completely risk-free.

We retain health records for the periods required by law. In NSW, adult health information must generally be retained for at least seven years after the last health service. Information collected while a patient was under 18 must be retained until the patient turns 25. Other legal obligations may require longer retention. When lawful retention is no longer needed, we will securely destroy or de-identify information as appropriate and keep required disposal records.

If a suspected data breach occurs, we will assess it, take appropriate steps to contain and address it, and notify affected individuals and regulators where required by law.

7. Accessing and correcting your information

You can ask to access your personal information or request correction using the contact details below. We may need to verify your identity and, for a representative, their authority. Please describe the records or correction you need.

We aim to respond within 30 days and will explain any delay. There is no charge to make a request or to correct information. A reasonable, non-excessive fee may apply to providing access; we will explain any proposed fee in advance.

If access or correction is refused on a lawful ground, we will provide written reasons where required and explain complaint options. If we cannot agree to a correction, you may ask us to attach a statement of your concern to the record. You may also ask us to notify relevant recipients of a correction where required by law.

8. Contact and privacy complaints

For privacy enquiries, access requests or complaints, contact the Practice Manager:

Please describe what happened and the outcome you seek. We will consider your complaint, make relevant enquiries and aim to provide a response within 30 days. If more time is needed, we will explain why and keep you informed.

If the matter remains unresolved, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) on 1300 363 992. For NSW health privacy matters, you may also contact the Information and Privacy Commission NSW on 1800 472 679.

9. Updates and copies

We may revise this policy as our services or legal obligations change. The current version will be available through the Privacy Policy link on our website, with its update date shown above. Contact reception for a free copy or assistance accessing it.