Privacy policy

Who we are

Under PHIPA, our registered dental hygienists are health information custodians. The practice owner is responsible for how the practice handles your information and answers privacy questions. You can reach us at: Growing Beautiful Smiles, 523 Guelph Street, Norval, ON L0P 1K0. Phone (416) 857-0437. Email info@growingbeautifulsmiles.com.

What we collect

When you request an appointment on this website, we collect what you type into the form:

• Your name and phone number, and your email address if you give it.
• The type of visit you are asking about, any days or times that suit you, and any note you add.
• Whether you agreed to receive appointment text messages, and when.

When you visit the clinic, we collect the health information needed to care for you safely: your medical and dental history, medications, allergies, examination findings, treatment notes, x-rays and images where taken, and billing and insurance details.

Our website host keeps standard server logs (such as IP address, browser type and the pages requested) to run and secure the site. This website does not use advertising or analytics cookies.

How we use it

• To respond to your appointment request and agree a time with you.
• To provide, record and follow up on your dental hygiene care.
• To send appointment confirmations and reminders by phone, email or, if you agreed, text message.
• To bill you or your insurer, with your consent.
• To meet our legal and professional record-keeping obligations.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for marketing without your express consent.

Your consent

PHIPA allows us to rely on your implied consent to use and share health information within your circle of care, for example with a dentist or physician involved in your treatment. For anything else, we ask for your express consent first.

You can withdraw or limit your consent at any time by telling us. We will explain if withdrawing would affect the care we can give you.

Who we share it with

• Other health providers involved in your care, as described above.
• Your insurer or a government dental program, when you ask us to bill them.
• Service providers who help us run the practice and this website, such as our website host and our email delivery provider. They may only use your information to provide that service to us, and must keep it secure.
• Anyone we are required or permitted to share with by law, such as our regulatory College.

The sharing described above does not permit marketing-related sharing of mobile information. Mobile numbers, SMS opt-in data, and SMS consent records will not be sold, rented, or shared with third parties or affiliates for their marketing or promotional purposes.

SMS messaging and mobile information

If you provide a mobile number, we may collect that number and information connected with our text-message interactions, such as messages and replies, opt-out or help requests, and delivery information. We use SMS only for appointment confirmations, appointment reminders and replies to your appointment requests when you have given consent.

• Consent records may include your phone number, the consent timestamp, the collection method (a website form), the source or form where consent was collected, and the version of the disclosure or policy presented to you.
• We will not share or sell your mobile information with third parties for promotional or marketing purposes. Mobile opt-in and consent data are not shared with any third parties.
• We may share mobile information only with service providers needed to operate our messaging program. Those providers must use it only to provide services to us and are subject to confidentiality and data-protection obligations.
• You can withdraw consent at any time by replying STOP. For help, reply HELP or contact us at info@growingbeautifulsmiles.com.
• Message frequency varies. Standard message and data rates may apply.
• We retain and delete mobile information and consent records under the same business, legal, and privacy practices described in this policy.

See our SMS terms for the full program details: SMS messaging terms.

How long we keep it, and how we protect it

We keep clinical records for as long as Ontario law and the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario require, then destroy them securely. Appointment requests that do not lead to a visit are deleted once they are no longer needed.

We use physical, administrative and technical safeguards: locked storage, access limited to staff who need it, password-protected systems, and encrypted connections on this website. If your information is ever lost, stolen or accessed without authority, we will tell you as PHIPA requires.

Accessing and correcting your information

You have the right to see and get a copy of your health record, and to ask us to correct it if it is inaccurate or incomplete. Ask us in person, by phone or by email. We may charge a reasonable fee for copies, as the law allows.

If you have a concern about how we handle your information, please talk to us first. You also have the right to complain to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (ipc.on.ca).

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top shows when it last changed.