Privacy Policy

What Information Do We Collect?

We collect various types of information from you to provide you with high-quality dental services and to manage our business operations. This may include:

Personal Information:

Contact Details: Name, address, phone number, email address.

Identification: Date of birth, gender.

Billing Information: Payment details, insurance information (for processing claims).

Emergency Contact: Details of your nominated emergency contact person.

Health Information (Sensitive Information):

Medical History: Past and present medical conditions, allergies, medications, relevant family history.

Dental History: Past and present dental conditions, treatments received, dental X-rays, clinical notes, photographs.

Lifestyle Information: Habits relevant to dental health (e.g., smoking, diet).

Consent Records: Records of your informed consent to treatments and procedures.

Website/Social Media Usage Data:

Technical Data: IP address, browser type and version, time zone setting, operating system and platform, device information.

Usage Data: Information about how you use our Website and Social Media (e.g., pages visited, links clicked, time spent on pages).

Cookies: As detailed in Section 7 below.

How Do We Collect Your Information?

We collect information from you through various means, including:

• Directly from You:

• When you book an appointment (in-person, by phone, email, or online).

• When you complete patient registration forms or health questionnaires.

• During dental consultations and treatments.

• When you make enquiries or provide feedback.

• When you participate in our promotions or contests.

• When you purchase products from us in-store.

• From Third Parties (with your consent or where legally permitted):

• Other healthcare providers (e.g., your GP, specialists, previous dentists) when referring you or receiving referrals.

• Insurance companies (for billing and claims purposes).

• Government agencies (e.g., ACC, if your treatment is covered).

• Automatically when you use our Website/Social Media:

• Through cookies and similar tracking technologies.

How Do We Use Your Information?

We use your personal and health information for the following primary purposes:

• Providing Dental Services:

• To assess your dental health and provide appropriate diagnoses and treatment plans.

• To administer dental treatments and procedures.

• To manage and coordinate your appointments.

• To communicate with you regarding your treatment, appointments, and dental health.

• To maintain accurate and comprehensive clinical records.

• Business Operations:

• For billing and processing payments.

• For managing patient accounts and records.

• For internal administration, planning, and quality improvement (e.g., auditing, staff training).

• To comply with our legal and professional obligations (e.g., record-keeping requirements).

• To respond to your enquiries and feedback.

• Marketing and Promotions:

• To inform you about our services, products, and promotions (with your consent where required).

• To administer contests, sweepstakes, and giveaways.

• Website/Social Media Improvement:

• To understand how our Website and Social Media are used and to improve their functionality and content.

• To analyse trends and user behaviour.

Who Do We Share Your Information With?

We may share your information with third parties only when necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy, and in compliance with the Privacy Act and the Code. This may include:

Other Healthcare Professionals:

With your consent, to your general practitioner, dental specialists (e.g., orthodontists, oral surgeons), or other health professionals for continuity of care or referral purposes.

External Service Providers:

For billing, IT support, payment processing, or data storage. These providers are bound by confidentiality obligations and are only permitted to use your information for the specific services they provide to us.

ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation):

If your treatment is covered by ACC, we may share relevant information for claim processing.

Insurance Companies:

For processing dental insurance claims, with your consent.

Regulatory and Professional Bodies:

When legally required, such as to the Dental Council of New Zealand, Health and Disability Commissioner, or other regulatory authorities.

Legal Requirements:

Where we are legally required to do so, such as in response to a court order or other legal process.

We will never sell, rent, or lease your personal or health information to third parties for their independent marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

How Do We Store and Protect Your Information?

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal and health information from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

• Secure Systems: Using secure electronic patient management systems.

• Physical Security: Securing our physical premises and paper records.

• Access Controls: Restricting access to personal and health information to authorized staff on a need-to-know basis.

• Staff Training: Training our staff on privacy and data protection principles.

• Data Encryption: Using encryption where appropriate for data transmission.

• Backup Procedures: Regularly backing up our data.

• We retain your health records for the minimum period required by relevant New Zealand health and privacy legislation (currently 10 years after the last entry for adults, and longer for minors).

Your Rights

Under the Privacy Act and the Code, you have the following rights concerning your personal and health information:

• Right to Access: You have the right to request access to the personal and health information we hold about you. We will generally provide this within 20 working days, unless there's a valid reason to extend this timeframe (which we will notify you about).

• Right to Correction: You have the right to request the correction of any personal or health information we hold about you that you believe is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date.

• Right to Complain: If you believe we have breached your privacy rights under the Privacy Act or the Code, you have the right to make a complaint to us in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (www.privacy.org.nz) or the Health and Disability Commissioner (www.hdc.org.nz).

• To exercise your rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 10.

Cookies

Our Website may use "cookies" to enhance your Browse experience. Cookies are small data files placed on your device. They help us:

• Understand how you use our Website.

• Remember your preferences.

• Improve Website functionality. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our Website.

Links to Other Websites

Our Website or Social Media may contain links to third-party websites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of these other sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any website you visit after leaving our site.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting the updated policy on our Website and premises. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal information, please contact us at: Dental Plus - DB Dental Limited 41 Girven Road, Mount Maunganui] New Zealand Email: info@dentalplus.co.nz Phone: 07 575 5808.