Privacy Policy

We collect the following types of information:

• Personal Information: Name, address, phone number, email address, date of birth.
• Protected Health Information (PHI): Medical and dental history, treatment records, X-rays, insurance information, and payment information.
• Website Information: IP address, browser type, pages visited, and cookies when you use our website.

We use your information for the following purposes:

• Treatment: To provide, coordinate, and manage dental care and related services.
• Payment: To process insurance claims and billing for services rendered.
• Healthcare Operations: Quality improvement, staff training, audits, and practice management.
• Appointments: To schedule, confirm, and remind you of appointments.
• Communications: To send appointment reminders, follow-up care instructions, and practice updates (you may opt out at any time).

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), you have the right to:

• Request a copy of your health records
• Request corrections to your health information
• Request restrictions on how we use your PHI
• Request confidential communications
• Receive a list of disclosures of your PHI
• File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer at hello@smilezendental.com.

We may disclose your PHI without your authorization in certain limited circumstances required by law, including:

• Public health reporting requirements
• Reporting abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
• Law enforcement purposes as required by law
• Judicial and administrative proceedings
• Serious threats to health or safety

Our website uses cookies and analytics tools (including Google Analytics) to understand how visitors use our site and improve the user experience. This data is aggregated and does not identify individual users. You may disable cookies in your browser settings.

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal and health information, including encrypted data storage, secure transmission protocols (SSL/TLS), restricted staff access, and regular security audits. Despite our efforts, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

We may use HIPAA-compliant third-party service providers for appointment scheduling, electronic health records, billing, and email communications. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information.

We retain dental records in accordance with California state law and professional standards — generally a minimum of 10 years from the date of the last service, or 7 years after a minor patient turns 18.

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on our website and updating the "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of our services constitutes acceptance of any changes.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

You also have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights if you believe we have violated your HIPAA rights.