Privacy Policy

Introduction

Soh Dental is committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding the personal information you provide to us. We understand that your health and personal details are sensitive, and we treat them with the highest level of care and confidentiality.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information. It applies to all patients, website visitors, and individuals who interact with our practice.

We comply with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and all applicable health records legislation in Victoria.

Information We Collect

In the course of providing dental care and managing our practice, we may collect the following types of personal information:

• Personal details such as your name, date of birth, residential address, phone number, and email address
• Health information including medical history, dental records, clinical notes, X-rays, and photographs
• Health fund and insurance details for claims processing
• Payment information including credit card or bank details
• Appointment history and treatment records

How We Collect Information

We collect personal information through a variety of means, including:

• Directly from you when you complete patient registration forms, provide information during consultations, or communicate with us by phone, email, or in person
• From referring medical or dental practitioners who provide referral information relevant to your care
• From your health fund when processing claims or verifying membership details

Where possible, we will always collect personal information directly from you. If we need to collect information from a third party, we will inform you unless doing so is unreasonable or impractical.

How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

• Providing dental treatment, diagnosis, and preventive care
• Managing appointments, including booking confirmations and reminders
• Processing payments and submitting health fund claims on your behalf
• Communicating with you about your dental care, treatment plans, and follow-up
• Meeting our legal, regulatory, and professional obligations
• Improving our services and patient experience

Disclosure of Information

We may disclose your personal information to third parties only where necessary and appropriate, including:

• Your health fund for the purpose of processing claims
• Referring practitioners or specialists involved in your care
• Pathology laboratories, radiology services, or dental laboratories as required for your treatment
• Government authorities or regulatory bodies where required by law

We will not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. Your information is only disclosed where it is directly related to your dental care or where we are legally required to do so.

Data Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement a range of measures to protect it from unauthorised access, misuse, loss, or disclosure:

• Secure electronic practice management systems with encryption and access controls
• Physical records stored in locked filing cabinets within secured areas of the practice
• Ongoing staff training on privacy obligations and data handling procedures
• Regular reviews of our security practices and systems to identify and address potential vulnerabilities

Access and Correction

You have the right to request access to the personal and health information we hold about you. You may also request corrections to any information that you believe is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date.

To make a request, please contact our practice directly. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe and may ask you to verify your identity before providing access. In some limited circumstances, we may refuse access as permitted by law, and we will explain the reasons for any such refusal.

Retention of Records

We retain patient records in accordance with Australian health regulations and professional guidelines:

• Adult patient records are retained for a minimum of 7 years from the date of the last entry
• Records for patients treated as children are retained until the patient reaches 25 years of age
• Records may be retained for longer periods where required by law or where we consider it necessary for ongoing patient care

When records are no longer required, they are securely destroyed in accordance with applicable regulations.

Cookies and Website

Our website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience and help us understand how visitors use our site.

• We use website analytics tools, including Google Analytics, to collect anonymised data about website traffic and usage patterns
• Cookies do not personally identify individual visitors to our website
• Third-party services integrated into our website may also use cookies subject to their own privacy policies

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some features of our website.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or if you wish to make a request regarding your personal information, please contact us:

• Privacy Officer: Soh Dental
• Address: 2 Kangerong Rd, Box Hill VIC 3128
• Phone: (03) 9898 6701

If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your personal information, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). You can contact the OAIC at www.oaic.gov.au or by calling 1300 363 992.