Our Data Protection Principles
The protection and security of your personal data is of paramount importance to us. The use of your personal data is in strict compliance with data protection regulations in order to make you feel secure with us in matters of data protection.

It is important to us that you are always aware of which personal data is collected during your visit on our website and during the use of our services and offers as well as how we use said data afterwards. The following notices are intended to provide you with information about this and also to inform you of how we protect your personal data from manipulation, loss, destruction or improper use.

Collection and Use of Personal Data
Personal data is any data that allow for your personal identification, i.e. your name, address, phone number or email address (“Personal Data”). Personal Data is only collected, processed or used by us if permitted by law or if you have given your prior consent.

The collection, processing or use of your Personal Data is used in particular for the following purposes:

a. Contact Request
We use your Personal Data exclusively to process your request to get in contact with you.

b. Patient Registration
Without your explicit consent we only use your Personal Data to carry out your registration.

c. Online and Offline Advertising
Only with your express consent will we send you client satisfaction surveys, information about our services and events, and if applicable our newsletter by email.

If, through your registration, you provide us with additional consent we may use your online information for customer analysis, contests and written mail advertising. Information that we have collected outside of the Internet will be used for the purposes of processing your requests, for customer analysis, contests and written mail advertising without any additional consent from you.

Patients may also be informed about our products, services as well as customer satisfaction surveys and events by phone.

d. Right to Object to Advertising
You can object at any time to the use of your Personal Data for advertising or market research purposes. You may also withdraw your consent at any time. For this, simply send a short message by email to us.

e. Online Applications
If applicable, when you apply online for a job opening, training opportunity or internship with us, your information is used for the sole purpose of processing your application. As soon as your data is no longer needed it is deleted or destroyed.

Data Security
We and our service providers take technical and organisational security measures to protect stored Personal Data against accidental or intentional manipulation, loss, destruction or against access by unauthorised persons. Our data processing and security measures are improved continuously to fall in line with technological developments.

This practice recognises that all members of the team have an ethical and legal duty to keep patient information confidential. The relationship this practice has with each patient is based on trust that information will not be given to external persons or organisations without the patient's consent. All members of the practice team are expected to comply with this policy and are advised to be aware of the confidentiality clause within their staff contract. Breaches of this policy could lead to dismissal.

‘Standards for Dental Professionals’, guidance from the General Dental Council, notes that practitioners must ‘Protect the confidentiality of patients’ information’.

This means:
• Using information only for the purposes for which it was given.
• Preventing information from being accidentally revealed.
• Preventing unauthorised access by keeping information secure at all times.

Only in exceptional circumstances can a breach of confidentiality be justified.

Preventing breaches of confidentiality
We will keep all confidential data stored securely and will not allow it to be placed in areas where
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data may be seen by unauthorised personnel.

We will not provide information:
• To a school about a child's attendance.
• To employers about a patient’s appointments.
• To third parties about appointments or leave answering machine messages.
• Only leave messages to return the practice's phone call.

Recall cards and other personal information will be sent in a sealed envelope.

Disclosure of information
If it is necessary to release information about a patient:
• We will obtain the patient's consent first, where possible and make sure they understand what information is being released, why and any likely consequences.
• We will release the minimum required.
• We will be prepared to justify our decisions and follow on action.

If we use patient information (eg. radiographs, study models) for teaching purposes we will gain the patient's consent and ensure the patient cannot be identified from the information released.

Exceptional circumstances
Responsibility for disclosure rests with the patient’s
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dentist only. Under no circumstances will any other member of our staff make such a decision.
There may be some circumstances when the dentist feels it would be in the public interest to breach a patient's confidentiality. In such cases we will seek advice from our indemnifier before releasing the patient's information to a third party.

A court may order us to release information without the patient's consent. If so, we will only release the minimum information.

Access to records
Patients have a right to see their records and we will meet any request within 40 days. A request from a patient to see records or for a copy must be referred to the patient’s dentist.

The patient should be given the opportunity of coming into the practice to discuss the records and will then be given a photocopy.

More information
For more information on this topic, speak with the practice owner or practice manager.

Useful organisations:
General Dental Council (www.gdc-uk.org)
Information Commissioner (www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk)