Privacy Policy
1. About Us
Lithgow Dental provides dental and oral health services to patients in Australia.
This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through:
- Our website
- Online forms
- Email and telephone communications
- In-person consultations and treatments
- Practice management systems
2. Information We Collect
We may collect personal information including:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Address
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Emergency contact details
- Medicare, health fund, or concession card details
As a dental practice, we collect sensitive health information, including:
- Medical and dental history
- X-rays, scans, photographs, and treatment records
- Allergies and medications
- Treatment plans and clinical notes
Sensitive information is collected only where necessary to provide dental care or to meet legal obligations.
When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:
- IP address
- Browser type
- Pages visited and time spent
- Device and operating system information
This data is used for website analytics and performance improvement.
3. How We Collect Information
We collect information when you:
- Book or request an appointment
- Complete patient or consent forms
- Contact us via phone, email, or website
- Receive treatment at our clinic
- Use our website or online services
Where reasonable and practicable, we collect information directly from you.
4. Why We Collect Your Information
We collect and use your information to:
- Provide dental treatment and ongoing care
- Maintain accurate patient records
- Communicate with you about appointments, treatment, and billing
- Process payments and health fund claims
- Comply with legal and regulatory obligations
- Improve our services and website
- Send appointment reminders and relevant practice updates
5. Disclosure of Personal Information
We may disclose your information to:
- Dental practitioners, specialists, and allied health providers involved in your care
- Health insurers, Medicare, and government agencies (where required)
- Pathology, imaging, and dental laboratories
- IT, practice management, and cloud service providers
- Regulatory authorities when legally required
We do not sell or rent your personal information.
6. Overseas Disclosure
Some service providers (such as cloud-based practice management or IT providers) may store data overseas. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure your information is protected and handled in accordance with Australian privacy laws.
7. Data Security & Storage
We take reasonable steps to protect your information from:
- Loss
- Misuse
- Unauthorised access
- Modification or disclosure
Security measures include:
- Secure practice management systems
- Password protection and access controls
- Staff confidentiality obligations
- Secure storage of physical records
8. Accessing and Correcting Your Information
You have the right to:
- Request access to your personal information
- Request corrections if information is inaccurate or outdated
Requests can be made by contacting us using the details below. We may require identity verification before processing requests.
9. Cookies & Website Analytics
Our website may use cookies to:
- Improve functionality
- Analyse website traffic
- Enhance user experience
You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings, although this may affect website functionality.