Privacy Policy

Happy Teeth Dental Privacy Policy

Current as of: October 2020

This privacy policy is to provide information to you, our patient, on how your personal information (which includes your health information and dental records) is collected and used within our practice, and the circumstances in which we may share it with third parties.

When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for our dentists and practice staff to access and use your personal information and dental records so they can provide you with the best possible dental care. Only staff who need to see your personal information will have access to it. If we need to use your information for anything else, we will seek additional consent from you to do this.

Our practice will need to collect your personal information to provide dental care services to you. Our main purpose for collecting, using, holding and sharing your personal information is to manage your dental and oral health. We also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits and accreditation, and business processes (eg staff training).

The information we will collect about you includes your:

• Names, date of birth, addresses, contact details;
• Medical information including medical history, medications, allergies, social history, family history;
• Medicare number (where available) for identification and claiming purposes;
• Healthcare identifiers; and
• Health fund

You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for us to do so or unless we are required or authorized by law to only deal with identified individuals.

Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways.

1. When you make your first appointment our practice staff will collect your personal and demographic information via your
2. During the course of providing medical services, we may collect further personal
3. We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or SMS, telephone us, make an online appointment or communicate with us using social
4. In some circumstances personal information may also be collected from other sources. Often this is because it is not practical or reasonable to collect it from you directly. This may include information from:
   • Your guardian or responsible person;
   • Other involved healthcare and dental care providers, such as GP’s, specialists, allied health professionals, hospitals, community and dental health services and pathology and diagnostic imaging services; and
   • Your health fund, Medicare, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (as necessary).

We sometimes share your personal information:

• With third parties who work with our practice for business purposes, such as accreditation agencies or information technology providers. These third parties are required to comply with the APPs (Australian Privacy Principles) and this policy;
• With other healthcare and dental care providers;
• When it is required or authorised by law (eg court subpoenas);
• When it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient’s life, health or safety or public health or safety, or it is impractical to obtain the patient’s consent;
• To assist in locating a missing person;
• To establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim;
• For the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process; and
• When there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (eg some diseases require mandatory notification).

Only people who need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of providing medical services or as otherwise described in this policy, our practice will not share personal information with any third party without your consent.

We will not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional circumstances that are permitted by law) without your consent.

Our practice will not use your personal information for marketing any of our goods or services directly to you without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying our practice in writing.

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms. Your dental records and x-rays are stored electronically and securely on our computer system.

Our practice stores all personal information securely.

You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information.

Our practice acknowledges patients may request access to their dental records. We require you to put this request in writing and our practice will respond within a reasonable time

Our practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date. From time to time, we will ask you to verify that your personal information held by our practice is correct and current. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and you should make such requests in writing to Dr Maryam Rahnama at Happy Teeth Dental.

You can contact us during our working hours if you have any questions, concerns or a complaint about this Privacy Policy or the way in which we collect, store and disclose your personal information. We will always try to respond to you and address your questions, concerns or complaints within a reasonable time.

The Privacy Policy is available on our website at www.happyteethdental.com.au. You can also contact us and request that we send you a copy of this Policy by mail or email.

We take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. You should express any privacy concerns you may have in writing. We will then attempt to resolve it in accordance with our resolution procedure. You may also contact the OAIC. Generally, the OAIC will require you to give them time to respond before they will investigate. For further information visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.

This privacy policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur. We will notify our patients via our website when we amend this policy.