Privacy Policy and Notice of Privacy Practices

Our commitment

When you become a patient, we create a record of your care: your dental and medical history, X-rays and images, treatment plans, insurance details and billing information. This is your protected health information, and the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets rules for how we may use it.

This notice applies to all records kept by Amazing Smiles Dental Care, whether on paper or in electronic form, and to every member of our team who has access to them.

How we use and share your information

We use and share your information only as needed to care for you, run our practice and meet our legal obligations. Below are the main situations, with examples.

To provide your care

Your dentist and clinical team use your information to diagnose and treat you. We may also share it with other providers involved in your care, such as a dental laboratory making your crown or a specialist we refer you to.

To bill for your treatment

We share the information required to receive payment from you, your dental insurance plan or another payer, for example to confirm your coverage or submit a claim.

To run our practice

We use information to manage the office and improve the quality of care, such as training our staff, reviewing our procedures and keeping our records organized.

Appointment reminders and treatment updates

We may contact you by phone, text message, email or mail to confirm appointments, remind you of upcoming visits or follow up on treatment. Let us know if you prefer a specific way of being contacted.

Family members and caregivers

With your agreement, or if you are present and do not object, we may share information with a family member or friend who is involved in your care or helps pay for it. In an emergency, or if you are unable to respond, we will use our professional judgment to decide what is in your best interest.

Business associates

Some services are provided by outside companies, such as our practice management software, billing services or IT support. These companies must sign an agreement that requires them to protect your information.

When the law requires or allows it

We may also share information in limited situations permitted by law, including:

• when required by federal, state or local law;
• for public health activities, such as reporting disease or preventing injury;
• to report suspected abuse, neglect or domestic violence to the proper authorities;
• for health oversight activities, such as audits and inspections;
• in response to a court order, subpoena or other lawful process;
• to law enforcement, in the circumstances the law allows;
• to prevent a serious threat to the health or safety of a person or the public;
• to coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors, and for organ and tissue donation;
• for workers' compensation claims;
• for specialized government functions, such as military or national security purposes.

When we need your written permission

For any purpose not described above, we will ask for your written authorization first. This includes, for example, using your photos or testimonials in our marketing, and we will never sell your health information.

You may cancel an authorization at any time by writing to us. Cancelling stops future uses, but cannot undo information we already shared while your authorization was in effect.

Your rights

You have the following rights regarding your health information. To use any of them, contact us using the information at the end of this page.

• See and get a copy of your records. You can ask for a paper or electronic copy of your dental records and billing information. We will respond within the time required by law and may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
• Ask us to correct your records. If you believe something is wrong or incomplete, you can ask us to change it. If we decline, we will explain why in writing.
• Request confidential communications. You can ask us to contact you in a specific way, such as only on your cell phone, or at a different address. We will agree to reasonable requests.
• Ask us to limit what we use or share. You can ask us not to use or share certain information. We are not always required to agree, but if you pay for a service in full out of pocket and ask us not to share it with your health plan, we will honor that request unless the law requires otherwise.
• Get a list of disclosures. You can request a list of the times we shared your information in the six years before your request, with certain exceptions such as disclosures for treatment, payment and practice operations.
• Get a copy of this notice. You can ask for a paper copy at any time, even if you received it electronically.
• Choose someone to act for you. If you have given someone medical power of attorney, or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights. We will confirm their authority first.

Our responsibilities

• We are required by law to keep your protected health information private and secure.
• We will tell you promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
• We must follow the practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
• We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us in writing that we can.

Privacy on this website

This website is informational. It does not ask you to create an account, and it does not collect your health information through online forms.

Information you choose to send us

If you call us, send an email or contact us through social media, we use the information you share only to answer you and schedule your care. Please avoid sending detailed health information by regular email or social media, as these channels may not be secure. We can discuss it by phone or in person instead.

Services from other companies

To work properly, this website uses a few outside services that may receive technical information from your browser, such as your IP address:

• Google Maps, to show our location and directions;
• Google Fonts, to display the typefaces used on this site;
• Google Ads tag, to measure how visitors find us through our online ads and which actions they take on the site, such as tapping to call or asking for directions.

These services are governed by Google's privacy policy. When you click a link to another website, such as CareCredit, Sunbit, Cherry or our social media pages, that site's privacy policy applies.

Cookies and advertising measurement

The Google Ads tag uses cookies and similar technologies to record visits and interactions with this website. This information is used to measure the results of our advertising and may be used to show our ads to people who have visited the site. It does not include your dental or medical records, and we do not send health information to Google.

You can manage how Google personalizes ads for you at myadcenter.google.com, and you can block or delete cookies at any time in your browser settings.

Preferences saved on your device

The website remembers the language you choose (English, Portuguese or Spanish) by storing a small setting in your browser. This setting stays on your device, is not sent to us and can be removed by clearing your browser data.

Financing applications

If you apply for patient financing, your application is handled directly by the financing company you choose. Their terms and privacy policy apply to the information you give them.

Children

This website is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect information from children online. Care for minors is arranged with a parent or legal guardian.

Questions and complaints

If you have questions about this notice or want to use any of your rights, please contact our office. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with us, or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, by visiting hhs.gov/ocr/complaints or calling 1-877-696-6775.

We will never retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Changes to this notice

We may update this notice, and any changes will apply to all information we keep about you. The current version, with its effective date, will always be available on this page and at our office. You can ask for a copy at any visit.