Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Acme Dental (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our clinic or use our website located at acmedental.co.nz.

We comply with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this policy, please discontinue use of our services.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal information:

• Identity information — Full name, date of birth, gender
• Contact information — Address, phone number, email address
• Health information — Medical and dental history, treatment records, X-rays, clinical notes, prescriptions
• Financial information — Payment details, insurance information, billing records
• Communication records — Appointment booking requests, enquiries submitted via our contact form, emails and telephone call records
• Website usage data — IP address, browser type, pages visited, time spent on pages (via cookies)

Health information is classified as sensitive information under New Zealand law and receives additional protections under the Health Information Privacy Code 2020.

3. How We Collect Your Information

We collect information in the following ways:

• Directly from you when you complete new patient forms, contact us by phone or email, or submit an online booking request
• From your previous dental or medical providers, with your consent
• From your health insurer (e.g. Southern Cross) in connection with claims
• Automatically when you use our website, through cookies and similar technologies

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, schedule, and manage dental treatment and clinical care
• Communicate with you about appointments, follow-up care, and treatment plans
• Process payments and insurance claims
• Send appointment reminders and recall notifications (you may opt out at any time)
• Meet our legal and regulatory obligations as a healthcare provider
• Improve our services, website, and patient experience
• Respond to enquiries submitted through our website

We will not use your personal information for marketing purposes without your express consent. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us.

5. Disclosure of Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share information with:

• Specialist referrals — Other dental specialists or medical practitioners involved in your care, with your knowledge
• Laboratories and suppliers — Dental laboratories who fabricate crowns, aligners, and appliances for your treatment
• Health insurers — Southern Cross and other health insurers for the purpose of processing claims you initiate
• IT service providers — Practice management software, secure cloud storage, and email services bound by confidentiality agreements
• Regulatory authorities — The Dental Council of New Zealand or other authorities where required by law
• Legal obligations — Courts or law enforcement where we are legally required to disclose information

6. Storage and Security of Your Information

Your information is stored securely in our practice management system, which is protected by encrypted, password-protected access and regular security audits. Physical records are kept in locked storage.

We retain clinical records for a minimum of 10 years from the date of last treatment, or 10 years after a patient turns 20 years of age (whichever is later), in accordance with the Health (Retention of Health Information) Regulations 1996.

While we take all reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Cookies and Website Tracking

Our website uses cookies — small text files placed on your device — to improve your browsing experience. We use:

• Essential cookies — Required for the website to function correctly
• Analytics cookies — To understand how visitors interact with our website (e.g. Google Analytics, anonymised)

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some website functionality. We do not use cookies for targeted advertising.

8. Your Rights

Under the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request deletion of information where there is no legal requirement to retain it
• Withdraw consent for non-essential uses of your information
• Lodge a complaint with us or with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below. We will respond within 20 working days.

9. Links to Other Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (for example, health insurer portals). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing personal information.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the updated policy on our website with a revised “Last updated” date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal information, please contact us:

• Practice Manager
  Acme Dental
• Address: 2A Fleet Street, Devonport, Auckland 0624, New Zealand
• Phone: 09 243 1500
• Email: hello@acmedental.co.nz

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at www.privacy.org.nz or 0800 803 909.