PRIVACY POLICY &
‍TERMS OF SERVICE

1.  Our Commitment to Your Privacy

We are committed to handling your information with the utmost care, limiting its use to lawful and clinically appropriate purposes, and protecting it against unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. We will never sell your personal information to any third party, and we will never use it for purposes unrelated to your care without your explicit written consent where required by law.

2.  Information We Collect

We collect the information necessary to provide you with quality dental care and to manage our relationship with you. This may include:

• Personal identifiers: full name, date of birth, home address, phone number(s), and email address
• Dental and medical history: health conditions, medications, allergies, and prior dental or medical treatments
• Insurance information: carrier name, group and member ID numbers, and coverage details
• Financial and billing records: payment history, account balances, and payment method information
• Appointment and scheduling records: visit history and upcoming appointment details
• Communications you initiate: messages sent via phone, email, text message, or online contact forms
• Radiographs, clinical photographs, and other diagnostic records created during treatment

Information is collected directly from you, from your authorized representative or guardian where applicable, and from other healthcare providers involved in your treatment when appropriate and legally permitted.

3.  How We Use Your Information

3.1  Treatment

We use your information to provide, coordinate, and manage your dental care. This may include sharing information with dental specialists, oral surgeons, periodontists, laboratories, imaging centers, or other treating providers when referral or collaboration is clinically indicated.

3.2  Payment & Billing

We use your information to submit insurance claims, process pre-authorizations, post payments, and collect balances for services rendered. We may share information with your insurance carrier as necessary to obtain payment.

3.3  Healthcare Operations

We may use your information for internal operational purposes, including quality assurance, staff education and training, audits, accreditation activities, and general practice management.

3.4  Patient Communications

We communicate with you about your care, appointments, and matters important to your dental health. All communications we initiate — by phone, email, or text message — are related to your status as a patient of record and occur at a clinically reasonable frequency. See Sections 5 and 6 for specifics on email and SMS communications.

3.5  Legal & Regulatory Obligations

We may use or disclose your information as required by law, including in response to lawful court orders, subpoenas, public health reporting requirements, or state dental board inquiries.

4.  Sharing & Disclosure of Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal or health information. We may share information only in the following circumstances:

• Treatment team: With licensed providers directly involved in your care, as needed for treatment.
• Business associates: With vendors and service providers who perform functions on our behalf (e.g., billing services, IT systems, appointment reminder software) under written Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) that require them to protect your PHI in accordance with HIPAA.
• Insurance carriers: As necessary to verify coverage, submit claims, or obtain payment for services.
• Legal requirements: When disclosure is required by applicable law, regulation, court order, or governmental authority.
• With your written authorization: For any other purpose not listed above, we will obtain your written consent before disclosing your information, and you may revoke that authorization at any time in writing.

5.  Email Communications

By providing your email address and becoming a patient of record, you consent to receive email communications from us related to your dental care. These may include appointment reminders, confirmation requests, post-visit follow-up, recall and preventive care reminders, and administrative notices such as changes to office hours or policies.

Please be aware that standard email is not a fully encrypted medium. We advise against transmitting sensitive clinical details via unencrypted email. For communications involving your PHI, we encourage use of our secure patient portal when available, or contact our office by phone.

To opt out of email communications: Reply to any email with “UNSUBSCRIBE” or similar language, or contact our office by phone to request removal from our email list. Please note that certain legally required or clinically critical notices may not be subject to opt-out.

6.  SMS / Text Message Communications

6.1  Consent & Opt-In

By providing your mobile phone number and becoming a patient of record, you expressly consent to receive SMS (text message) communications from our practice related to your dental care. This opt-in is part of our standard patient communication practices and is not a condition of receiving dental treatment. You may opt out at any time as described in Section 6.6.

6.2  Types of Messages You May Receive

All text messages we send are directly related to your care as a patient of our practice. You may receive messages for the following purposes:

• Appointment reminders: Advance reminders prior to your scheduled visit (e.g., “Reminder: You have an appointment on [Date] at [Time] with [Practice Name].”)
• Appointment confirmation requests: Messages asking you to confirm or cancel an upcoming appointment.
• Rescheduling notices: Notifications if your appointment needs to change at our end, with instructions for rebooking.
• Recall & preventive care reminders: Notices when you are due for a routine cleaning, exam, or other recommended preventive service.
• Post-visit follow-up: Check-in messages following a procedure or treatment to support your recovery and address questions.
• Responses to your inquiries: Replies when you initiate contact with us by text message.
• Important practice notices: Critical updates directly relevant to your care, such as office closures or urgent schedule changes.

We do not send marketing, promotional, or advertising text messages. All SMS communications are strictly related to your dental care and your relationship with our practice.

6.3  Message Frequency / Cadence

Message frequency varies based on your appointment schedule and individual care needs. As a general guide:

• You may receive up to six (6) messages per scheduled appointment. These may include an initial reminder, a confirmation request, day-of reminders, and any follow-up messages related to that visit.
• Recall and preventive care reminders are sent up to six (6) times per year, based on your recommended hygiene schedule and any outstanding treatment needs.
• If you have unscheduled pending treatment on your account (e.g., a treatment plan that has been recommended but not yet scheduled), you may receive up to three (3) messages encouraging you to contact the office to schedule your care.
• Post-visit follow-up messages are generally sent within one to two business days following a procedure, when clinically appropriate.

We are mindful of messaging frequency and contact you only when there is a clear clinical or scheduling purpose.

6.4  Message & Data Rates

Message and data rates may apply. Standard SMS and data rates charged by your mobile carrier may apply to messages you send to or receive from our practice. We are not responsible for any charges assessed by your carrier. Please contact your carrier directly if you have questions about your messaging plan.

6.5  Carrier Support & Delivery

Our SMS communications are delivered through major U.S. wireless carriers. Message delivery is not guaranteed across all carriers or devices, and we are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

6.6  How to Opt Out of Text Messages

You may opt out of SMS communications from our practice at any time using any of the following methods:

• Reply STOP (or UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT, or any similar opt-out keyword) to any text message you receive from us. We will promptly remove your number from our SMS list and send one final confirmation message.
• Call our office and ask a team member to manually opt you out of text message communications. Your preferences will be updated in our system immediately.
• Request in writing by submitting a written request at our front desk or via email to our office, clearly stating your wish to be removed from SMS communications.

After opting out, you will no longer receive non-essential text messages from our practice. You may still receive messages that are legally required or that you specifically request. To re-enroll at any time, simply contact our office.

6.7  Help & Support

If you need assistance with our text message program, reply HELP to any message from us or contact our office directly by phone. We will be happy to help.

7.  Security of Your Information

We implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards designed to protect your personal and health information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These safeguards are reviewed and updated regularly in accordance with HIPAA Security Rule requirements and industry best practices.

While we take reasonable precautions to protect your information, no data transmission or storage system is completely secure. In the event of a data breach affecting your unsecured PHI, we will notify you in accordance with the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule and applicable state law.

8.  Cookies & Website Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and improve the functionality of our online services. Cookies are small data files stored on your device that help us recognize returning visitors and understand user preferences. Cookies used on our website do not store protected health information.

You may configure your browser to refuse all cookies or to notify you when a cookie is being set. However, some features of our website may not function properly if cookies are disabled. We may use third-party analytics tools such as Google Analytics that collect anonymized usage data; those providers maintain their own privacy policies governing their use of that data.

9.  Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including insurance portals, patient education resources, and partner organizations. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, security, or content of those external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit before providing personal information.

10.  Your HIPAA Rights as a Patient

Under HIPAA, you have the following rights with respect to your protected health information. To exercise any of these rights, please submit a written request to our office. We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law.

• Right to Access: You may inspect and obtain a copy of your dental records and other PHI we hold.
• Right to Amend: You may request a correction or amendment to your health information if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI.
• Right to Request Restrictions: You may request that we limit certain uses or disclosures of your PHI. We are not always required to agree, but we will consider all reasonable requests.
• Right to Confidential Communications: You may request that we contact you at a specific phone number or address for privacy reasons.
• Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice: You may request a printed copy of this Policy at any time, free of charge, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.

11.  Terms of Service

11.1  Patient Relationship

By scheduling an appointment and receiving care at our practice, you enter into a patient-provider relationship governed by applicable professional standards, state dental practice acts, and the terms described in this Policy. This relationship does not constitute a guarantee of any specific treatment outcome.

11.2  Financial Responsibility

You are responsible for all charges incurred for services rendered at our practice, including any amounts not covered by your dental insurance. We will make reasonable efforts to verify your insurance benefits prior to treatment; however, all coverage estimates are subject to final determination by your insurance carrier. Any unpaid balances remain your responsibility.

11.3  Appointment & Cancellation Policy

We request a minimum of 48 business hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. This allows us to offer your appointment time to another patient in need of care. Repeated late cancellations or no-shows may result in a cancellation fee, dismissal from the practice, or both, at our discretion. We reserve the right to refuse scheduling to patients who consistently fail to honor appointments.

11.4  Consent to Treatment

By presenting for care, you consent to examination and routine dental procedures. For more complex procedures, a separate informed consent discussion and/or signed consent form will be completed prior to treatment. You have the right to ask questions about any proposed treatment and to refuse or withdraw consent at any time.

11.5  Accuracy of Information

You agree to provide accurate, complete, and current health, insurance, and contact information. Providing false or misleading information may affect the quality of your care and may result in denied insurance claims or other consequences for which our practice is not responsible.

11.6  Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, our practice’s liability for any claim arising out of or related to your care or use of our services shall be limited to the fees you paid for the specific service giving rise to the claim. We are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages.

11.7  Governing Law

This Policy is governed by the laws of the state in which our practice is located, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any disputes shall be resolved in the appropriate state or federal courts of that jurisdiction.

12.  Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to update this Policy at any time to reflect changes in law, regulatory guidance, or our practice operations. When material changes are made, we will post the revised Policy on our website with an updated effective date. For significant changes affecting your rights, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you directly. Your continued receipt of care after the effective date of any revision constitutes your acceptance of the updated Policy. The current version of this Policy is always available on our website.

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