1. Introduction
Pitt Meadows Dental Centre ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and the confidentiality of your personal information, including personal health information.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect personal information in connection with our dental practice and website. We handle personal information in accordance with British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act where applicable, and applicable professional, legal, and regulatory obligations.
2. Personal Information We Collect
We collect personal information only as needed to provide dental care, communicate with patients, manage our clinic, process payments and insurance claims, and meet our legal and professional obligations.
A. Information You Provide Directly
Patient Information: When you schedule an appointment or become a patient, we may collect information such as:
Full name, date of birth, address, phone number, and email address
Medical and dental history
Treatment records, radiographs, photographs, scans, study models, prescriptions, and clinical notes
Insurance information and benefit details
Payment information and billing history
Emergency contact information
Contact Forms: When you contact us through our website, email, phone, or other communication methods, we may collect your name, contact details, and the content of your inquiry.
Mobile Opt-In: If you choose to receive text messages from us, we collect your phone number and communication preferences.
B. Information Collected Automatically
When you use our website, we may collect limited technical and usage information, including:
Pages visited and time spent on our website
Browser type, device type, IP address, and general usage data
Referring website or source
Cookies and similar tracking technologies
3. Consent
By providing personal information to us, booking an appointment, completing patient forms, using our website, or receiving care from our clinic, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless otherwise permitted or required by law.
In some cases, your consent may be implied by your actions, such as when you provide information to book an appointment or submit insurance details for a claim. For uses not reasonably related to your dental care, billing, clinic operations, or legal obligations, we will obtain express consent where required.
4. How We Use Personal Information
We use personal information for the following purposes:
Providing Dental Care: To assess oral health, diagnose conditions, plan treatment, provide dental services, and maintain patient records
Appointment Management: To schedule, confirm, remind, reschedule, and follow up on appointments
Billing and Insurance: To process payments, submit insurance claims, issue receipts, and manage accounts
Communication: To respond to inquiries, provide patient updates, and communicate about treatment, appointments, billing, or clinic matters
Care Coordination: To communicate with specialists, dental laboratories, pharmacies, insurers, or other providers involved in your care, where appropriate
Marketing With Consent: To send promotional materials, newsletters, or updates about our services only where permitted and with your consent
Legal and Professional Compliance: To meet applicable legal, regulatory, professional, and recordkeeping obligations
Website Improvement: To understand website usage, improve functionality, and maintain website security
5. Sharing Personal Information
We do not sell personal information. We only disclose personal information where reasonably necessary for patient care, clinic operations, payment, insurance, legal compliance, safety, or where we have consent or are otherwise permitted or required by law.
A. Mobile Opt-In Privacy
We do not sell or share SMS opt-in consent, phone numbers, or text messaging preferences with third parties or affiliates for their marketing purposes. If you receive text messages from us, message and data rates may apply. You may reply STOP to unsubscribe or HELP for assistance.
B. Service Providers and Care Partners
We may share personal information with trusted service providers and care partners who help us provide care and operate our clinic, including:
Insurance providers and claims processors
Payment processors
Appointment scheduling and patient communication systems
Dental laboratories, specialists, pharmacies, or other care providers involved in treatment
IT, software, web hosting, analytics, and security providers
Professional advisors, regulators, or authorities where required or permitted by law
Service providers are expected to protect personal information and use it only for the purposes of providing services to us or supporting patient care.
C. Legal Requirements
We may disclose personal information if required by law, court order, professional regulation, or where we believe disclosure is necessary to:
Comply with applicable laws, regulations, or professional obligations
Protect the rights, privacy, safety, or property of our clinic, patients, team members, or the public
Respond to an emergency, regulatory inquiry, complaint, legal process, or insurance matter
6. Data Security
We take the security of personal information seriously. We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, loss, or destruction.
Encrypted data transmission where appropriate
Restricted access to patient information
Secure systems for patient records and clinic operations
Staff training on privacy and confidentiality
Secure disposal or de-identification of information when no longer required
If we become aware of a privacy breach, we will take steps to contain, investigate, and address the breach. Where required by law, we will notify affected individuals, regulators, or other appropriate parties.
No method of transmission or electronic storage is completely secure. While we work to protect personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. Your Privacy Rights and Choices
You may request access to your personal information, ask for corrections, withdraw consent for certain uses, or contact us with questions or concerns about how we handle personal information.
A. Access and Correction
You may request access to your personal information or ask us to correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete, subject to legal and professional requirements. We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request.
B. Accuracy of Information
We take reasonable steps to keep personal information as accurate, complete, and up to date as necessary for the purposes for which it is used. Please notify us if your contact information, medical history, insurance details, or other relevant information changes.
C. Withdrawing Consent
You may withdraw consent for certain uses or disclosures of your personal information, subject to legal, professional, contractual, and practical restrictions. Withdrawing consent may affect our ability to provide dental care, communicate with you, process insurance claims, or manage your account.
D. Communication Preferences
You may opt out of promotional emails or marketing communications at any time by using the unsubscribe instructions in our emails or by contacting us directly. If you opt out of marketing communications, we may still contact you about your appointments, treatment, billing, or other clinic-related matters using permitted communication methods.
E. Mobile Message Opt-Out
If you have opted in to receive text messages, you may opt out at any time by replying STOP to a text message from us or by contacting us directly.
F. Cookies and Tracking
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking cookies may affect how some parts of our website function.
8. Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to provide dental care, manage our clinic, meet legal and professional obligations, resolve disputes, and protect our rights. Dental records are retained for the period required by applicable professional, legal, and regulatory requirements. When information is no longer required, we securely delete, destroy, or anonymize it where appropriate.
9. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to third-party websites. This Privacy Policy applies only to our website and clinic. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites before providing personal information.
10. Children and Minors
We may collect personal information about children and minors when they receive care at our clinic. Where required, we collect, use, and disclose this information with consent from a parent, guardian, or authorized representative, unless otherwise permitted or required by law.
11. Privacy Officer and Contact Information
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:
Pitt Meadows Dental Centre
Privacy Officer: Office Manager
Address: 19618 Hammond Rd, Pitt Meadows, BC V3Y 1R8, Canada
Phone: (604) 465-7733
Email: info@pittmeadowsdental.com
If you have a concern about how we handle your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer. We will review and respond to privacy concerns in a reasonable manner. If your concern is not resolved, you may contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia or the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, where applicable.
12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. If we make material changes, we will update the effective date below and provide additional notice where required by law.
Effective Date: June 28, 2026
Last Updated: June 28, 2026
