Privacy Policy

Introduction 

The Dental Co. (ABN 66 140 645 891) is dedicated to its valued patients and is fully committed to upholding the privacy and safeguarding the personal information of individuals we engage with. 

Our Privacy Policy outlines how The Dental Co uses and manages our patient’s personal information, including what data we might gather about the patient. The policy is guided by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Act) and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) (subject to any modifications that may arise). 

Within this Privacy Policy: ‘We’, ‘Us’, ‘Our’ refers to The Dental Company Windsor Pty Ltd and its affiliated entities and ‘You’, ‘Your’ refers to individual patients or customers, present or potential patients of The Dental Co. 

The Dental Co will review and update this Privacy Policy on a regular basis.

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What is personal information? 

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, “personal information” has the same meaning under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) , namely information or an opinion, whether true or not, and whether recorded in material form or not about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained. This can include, but is not limited to, a person's name, address, contact details, date of birth, financial information, and any other information that can directly or indirectly identify a specific individual.

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Information we collect 

At The Dental Co. it is usual practice to only collect personal information directly from you or your authorised representative/s. 

We may also obtain your personal information from a third party or a publicly available source, but only if you consent to such collection or it deemed reasonable to expect us to collect your health information from a third party and we will assume you have made that third party aware of the referral and the purpose(s) of the collection, use and disclosure of the relevant personal information. 

The information we may collect from you will depend on the use of the information required, such information may include: 

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• Contact or personal identification details such as your name, address, telephone and email address and any other identify information from any documents you provide as proof of your identify
• Health insurance details and financial details used for the purposes of addressing accounts to you, processing payments, collecting unpaid invoices via an external collection agency, and writing to you about our services and any issues affecting your health care
• Any records from your previous dentists or treating clinicians including medical history
• Any additional personal details you share when you submit an inquiry, seek information, or engage in communication with us

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Use and disclosure of your personal information

Our practice uses health information for the purposes of providing you with our products and services or for purposes directly related to providing you with health care. We may use your personal information for various purposes, which include: 

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• Providing personalised dental services to you
• Keeping and managing your patient records
• Keeping you informed about your dental well-being and related services 
• Assisting with your questions and enquiries 
• Handling internal tasks like administration, finance, quality control, and technology management
• Resolving concerns or complaints effectively
• Conducting surveys, research, and analysis to improve our services
• Running promotions for your benefit
• Managing dental service invoices, processing payments, and dealing with outstanding bills
• Helping with health insurance claims
• Ensuring follow-up care for additional dental needs
• Providing you with pertinent information about The Dental Co
• Complying with applicable dental service regulations and laws

If you choose to submit personal information through our online forms or emails, we will utilize that information to respond to your messages or to engage with you. Our primary purpose in collecting and using personal information submitted through our website is to address inquiries and feedback from The Dental Co's patients and customers. Your contact details may be retained for future reference.

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We may disclose your information to: 

• Our business associates, referral partners, agents, and similar entities for purposes related to our original reasons for collecting your personal data
• Other organizations with whom we have partnerships or agreements aimed at promoting our respective products or services
• Professional advisors, contractors, or service providers we enlist to carry out or provide guidance on our functions and operations
• Your designated financial advisor
• Any other entity mandated or authorized by law to receive such information, such as law enforcement agencies and government bodies
• Other parties, with your consent, whether it's explicit or implied

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Direct marketing 

From time to time, our practice may engage in marketing to support the growth and development of the practice and to provide you with information about services offered at the practice. 

We may use your information for the purpose of direct marketing; however, we will not on-sell your personal information. 

We understand that you may not wish to receive marketing materials from the practice. If you would prefer not to receive such information, you have the option to opt-out of receiving marketing materials from us anytime by letting us know via our contact details. If you inform us that you no longer want to receive marketing or promotional content from us, we will cease sending such materials. Should you change your mind in the future and desire to receive marketing or promotional content from us again, please reach out to us.

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Handling and storing your personal information

We will take appropriate measures to securely store and protect your personal information, guarding against misuse, loss, unauthorized access, alteration, or disclosure. Our handling of your personal information aligns with Australian privacy laws, including the Australian Privacy Principles. We have stringent data security protocols to prevent unauthorized access to your data, limiting access to our authorized personnel.

Your personal information may be accessed by our employees at The Dental Co for administrative purposes and to deliver services to you. We retain your personal information as long as necessary to provide the requested services and products and to meet legal obligations.

When your personal information is no longer needed for any purpose, including legal requirements, we will securely destroy or de-identify it, unless otherwise permitted or mandated by law.

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Accessing, altering and updating your information

To ensure we can effectively deliver our products and services, it's crucial that the personal information we have about you is accurate and up-to-date. If there are any changes to your personal information while we have it, please let us know. Likewise, if you believe your personal information in our records is incorrect or needs updating, please contact us using the provided contact details.

You can also inquire about what personal information we have by reaching out to us using the contact information. We will allow access or make the changes unless we consider that there is a sound reason under the Privacy Act, or other relevant law to withhold the information, or not make the changes.

Requests for access or correction must be made in writing to us.

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Website security

We take reasonable precautions to safeguard the personal information you share with us online. We continually update our security measures and encryption technology to enhance the effectiveness of our security systems. However, it's important to note that no internet transmission can be guaranteed as entirely secure. Therefore, we cannot assure or guarantee the absolute security of any information you transmit to us online. Please be aware that you are transmitting information at your own risk. 

We gather general web server and visitor traffic data, typically known as aggregate information, which provides insights into overall website traffic patterns. This type of basic information is routinely collected by web servers as part of their standard logging procedures. We solely utilize this data for statistical analysis, reporting, and for the maintenance and administration of our website. Importantly, it is not employed in a manner that personally identifies you, and we do not generate individual user reports.

If you are concerned about conveying sensitive or personal material to us over the internet, please contact us by telephone to discuss the matter.

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Cookies

Our website only uses session cookies and only during a search query of the website. Our ISP has assured us [check with your ISP directly] that no cookies are employed on the website except for those associated with the search engine. The website statistics are generated from the web logs as outlined above.

Upon closing your browser, the session cookie set by the website is destroyed, and no personal information that might identify you should you visit our site at a later date is maintained.

Cookies can either be persistent or session based. Persistent cookies are stored on your computer, contain an expiry date, and may be used to track your browsing behaviour upon return to the issuing website. Session cookies are short lived, are used only during a browsing session, and expire when you quit your browser.

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Updates to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Any revisions to this Privacy Policy will be accessible on our website. We encourage you to check this Privacy Policy regularly to stay informed about how The Dental Room manages your personal information.

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Resolving your concerns 

If you believe there has been or could be a breach of your privacy, please notify and contact our practice any time by emailing us at info@thedentalcomany.com.au and we will manage any concerns internally, directly with you.

In the event of a privacy breach, our practice will adhere to the relevant guidance and recommendations provided by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner for handling such breaches. 

For more information regarding privacy laws or to address any concerns that have not been adequately resolved with our practice, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at www.oaic.gov.au or by calling 1300 363 992.