This privacy notice discloses the privacy practices for this website. This privacy notice applies solely to information collected by this web site. If you are a minor, please be sure to get your parents to review this privacy policy statement with you, and get their permission, before using the Smilen Dental website. We do not intentionally gather information about visitors who are under the age of 18. This privacy policy will notify you of the following:
- What personally identifiable information is collected from you through the web site, how it is used and with whom it may be shared.
- What choices are available to you regarding the use of your data.
- The security procedures in place to protect the misuse of your information.
- How you can correct any inaccuracies in the information.
By using the Smilen Dental website you acknowledge that you have read this privacy policy statement and consent to our privacy practices as described in this statement. This statement is not intended to and does not create any contractual or other legal right in or on behalf of any person.
Our Legal Duty
Your Smilen Dental practice (“we,” “our,” “us”), like all other medical and dental practices, is required by applicable federal and state laws to maintain the privacy of your health information. We are also required to give you this notice about our privacy practices, our legal duties, and your rights concerning your health information. We must follow the privacy practices that are described in this notice while it is in effect. This notice went into effect on January 31, 2020, and will remain in effect until modified or replaced. We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this notice at any time, provided such changes are permitted by applicable law. We reserve the right to make the changes in our privacy practices and the new terms of our notice effective for all health information that we maintain, including health information we created or received before we made the changes. You are responsible for periodically reading this statement. If you use the Smilen Dental website after we have updated this statement, you acknowledge that you have read the updated terms and consent to our revised privacy practices. For more information about our privacy practices, or for additional copies of this notice, please contact us according to the means outlined in this notice.
Information We Collect Through the Smilen Dental Website
This privacy policy statement only applies to information that we collect through the Smilen Dental website, and does not apply to any information we collect through any other means. We collect two types of information from you and other visitors: 1) “personally identifiable information” (described below); and 2) non-personally identifiable information (described below).
“Personally identifiable information” is information that identifies you personally, such as your name, address, telephone number, email address, or company name. Here are some examples of the ways in which we may collect and store your personally identifiable information through our websites:
- We may collect your email address, first and last name, and zip code, if you sign up for an online newsletter;
- We may collect your email address if you contact us with a question;
- We may collect your first and last name, your address, and your credit card and billing information to enable you to pay for services we provide to you.
“Non-personally identifiable information” can be technical information or it can be demographic information, such as your age, gender, or interests. Non-personally identifiable information does not identify you personally. If you do provide us with non-personally identifiable information, we may use it for the purposes described in this statement or where it is collected, or any other legal purpose. Here are some examples of the ways in which we may collect and store your non-personally identifiable information through our websites, and how we use such information:
- Internet Protocol (IP) address. Your “IP address” is a number that lets computers attached to the Internet know where to send you data, such as the screens and pages of the Smilen Dental website that you view. We use this information to deliver our screens and pages to you upon request, to tailor our websites to the interests of you and our other visitors, and to measure traffic to and within our websites.
- Cookie. A “cookie” is a small text file that may be used to collect information about your activity on the Smilen Dental website. For example, when you visit a screen or page a cookie is placed on your computer (if you or your browser accepts the cookie). This cookie may then be read by screen or pages on our website. You may configure your browser to notify you or to reject and block cookies, but if you do, you may not have access to some areas of the Smilen Dental website, or to the personalized features of our websites.
- Demographic Information. “Demographic information” may be your gender, age, zip code, and interests. We may collect such information about you through the Smilen Dental website and use it to provide you with personalized services and to analyze trends to ensure that our site and services and the information on them is targeted to meet your needs. Please note that we also consider aggregated information, which is not personally identifiable, to be non-personally identifiable information.
If you encounter a screen or page that requests information you do not want to share with us, do not enter the information and do not proceed with that screen or page.
Uses and Disclosures of Information Collected
Personally identifiable information: If you do provide us with personally identifiable information, we will only use it for the purposes described in this statement or where it is collected. Primarily, we use it on the website to:
- allow you access to certain areas of our websites;
- register you as a user and develop your profile and enable you to take advantage of the personalized features of the Smilen Dental website;
- deliver services, such as educational programs, information, newsletters, or software that you request or purchase;
- complete a transaction or service requested by you;
- target our website to your needs; and
- contact you in response to sign up forms such as “Contact Us” or “Order Inquiry”.
Non-personally identifiable information: We may use non-personally identifiable information for the purposes described in this statement or where it is collected, or any other legal purpose. In the event that non-personally identifiable information is combined with personally identifiable information, we will treat the combined information as personally identifiable information.
Sharing of Information Collected
Primarily, we may share or disclose your personally identifiable information in the following instances:
Treatment
We may use or disclose your health information to a physician/dentist, student, or other healthcare provider within our organization.
Payment
We may use and disclose your health information to obtain payment for services we provide to you.
Healthcare Operations
We may use and disclose your health information in connection with our healthcare operations. Healthcare operations include quality assessment and improvement activities, reviewing the competence or qualifications of healthcare professionals, evaluating practitioner and provider performances, conducting training programs, accreditation, certification, licensing or credentialing activities.
Your Authorization
In addition to our use of your health information for treatment, payment or healthcare operations, you may give us written authorization to use your health information or to disclose it to anyone for any purpose. If you give us an authorization, you may revoke it in writing at any time. Your revocation will not affect any use or disclosures permitted by your authorization while it was in effect. Unless you give us a written authorization, we cannot use or disclose your health information for any reason except those described in this privacy notice.
To Your Family and Friends
We must disclose your health information to you, as described in the Patient Rights section of this notice. We may disclose your health information to a family member, friend or other person to the extent necessary to help with your healthcare or with payment for your healthcare, but only if you give us authorization that we may do so.
Persons Involved in Care
We may use or disclose health information to notify (including identifying or locating) a family member, your personal representative or another person responsible for your care, of your location, your general condition, or death. In the event of your incapacity or emergency circumstances, we will disclose health information based on a determination using our professional judgment disclosing only health information that is directly relevant to the person’s involvement in your healthcare. We will also use our professional judgment and our experience with common practice to make reasonable inferences of your best interest in allowing a person to pick up prescriptions, dental supplies, X-rays, or other similar forms of health information.
Required by Law
We may use or disclose your health information when we are required to do so by law.
Appointment Reminders
We may use or disclose your health information to provide you with appointment reminders (such as voicemail messages, postcards, or letters).
Other Third Parties
Except as provided above, we will not share your personally identifiable information and/or non-personally identifiable information with any third party outside our organization, other than as necessary to fulfill your request(s), e.g. to ship an order.
Patient Rights
Access
You have the right to look at or get copies of your health information, with limited exceptions. You may request that we provide copies in a format other than photocopies. We will use the format you request unless we cannot practicably do so. We may charge a fee for producing dental records and X-rays as allowed by law.
Restrictions
You have the right to request that we place additional restrictions on our use or disclosure of your health information. We are not required to agree to these additional restrictions, but if we do, we will abide by our agreement (except in an emergency). When you pay in full outside of your insurance plan for services you may request that we restrict this information and not disclose it to your healthcare plan or insurer.
Breach Notification
We will provide you with notification of a breach of unsecured protected health information (“PHI”) as required by law.
Amendment
You have the right to request that we amend your health information. This request must be in writing, and it must explain why the information should be amended. We may deny your request under certain circumstances.
Electronic Notice
If you received this notice on our web site or by electronic mail (e-mail), you are also entitled to receive this notice in written form.