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Privacy Policy

Effective Date: December 2, 2025

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

At Spray Lake Dental, we are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal and health information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information in compliance with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Alberta’s Health Information Act (HIA), and the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

1. Information We Collect

We collect personal and health information necessary to provide you with quality dental care, including:

  • Personal Information: Name, date of birth, address, phone number, email address

  • Health Information: Medical and dental history, treatment records, X-rays and diagnostic images, medications and allergies, insurance information

  • Financial Information: Payment details, insurance billing information

  • Appointment Information: Scheduling preferences, appointment history, communication preferences

  • Website Usage Information: IP address, browser type, pages visited, time spent on pages, referring website, device information

This information is collected directly from you, your legal guardian (for minors), your insurance provider, other healthcare professionals involved in your care (with your consent), or automatically through website technologies.

2. How We Use Your Information

Your personal and health information is used for the following purposes:

  • Patient Care: Providing dental treatment, diagnosis, and care planning

  • Communication: Appointment reminders, follow-up care instructions, and responding to your inquiries

  • Billing: Processing payments and submitting insurance claims

  • Practice Management: Maintaining accurate patient records and improving our services

  • Legal Obligations: Complying with professional regulations and legal requirements

  • Emergency Situations: Providing information to emergency healthcare providers when necessary

  • Marketing: With your consent, sending information about our services, promotions, and dental health tips

  • Website Improvement: Analyzing website traffic and user behavior to enhance user experience

  • Advertising: Displaying relevant ads to prospective patients through Google Ads and other platforms

3. Consent

By providing your information to Spray Lake Dental, you consent to its collection, use, and disclosure as outlined in this policy. We obtain your consent in the following ways:

  • Express Consent: Written or verbal agreement for specific uses (e.g., sharing records with specialists, marketing communications)

  • Implied Consent: By booking and attending appointments, you consent to the collection and use of information necessary for your care

You have the right to withdraw consent at any time by contacting us, subject to legal and contractual limitations. We will explain any implications of withdrawing consent.

4. Disclosure of Information

We will not disclose your personal or health information without your consent, except in the following circumstances permitted or required by law:

  • Healthcare Providers: With your consent, we may share information with specialists, laboratories, or other healthcare professionals involved in your care

  • Insurance Companies: For billing and claims processing

  • Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or regulatory authorities (including the Alberta Dental Association & College, College of Dental Hygienists of Alberta)

  • Emergency Situations: To prevent serious harm to you or others

  • Practice Sale or Transfer: If our practice is sold, your records may be transferred to the new owner with appropriate safeguards

  • Public Health Authorities: When required for disease surveillance or public health purposes

5. Security and Protection

We implement comprehensive security measures to protect your information, including:

  • Physical Security: Locked filing cabinets, restricted access to patient records areas, secure disposal of paper records, alarm systems and surveillance

  • Technical Security: Password-protected computer systems, encrypted data transmission, regular software updates and security patches, firewall protection, secure cloud storage with Canadian data residency requirements

  • Administrative Security: Staff training on privacy and confidentiality, confidentiality agreements with all employees and contractors, limited access to information on a need-to-know basis, regular privacy audits

6. Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that poses a real risk of significant harm to individuals, we will:

  • Notify affected individuals as soon as feasible

  • Report the breach to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta

  • Document the breach and our response

  • Take steps to prevent future breaches

7. Retention of Records

We retain your dental records in accordance with professional regulations and legal requirements. In Alberta, dental records are maintained for a minimum of 10 years from the date of last treatment (or until a minor patient reaches age 18 plus 10 years, whichever is longer). Records may be retained longer if required by law or for ongoing patient care.

When records are no longer required, they are securely destroyed through shredding (paper records) or permanent deletion (electronic records).

8. Your Rights and Access

You have the right to:

  • Access: Request access to your personal and health information in our custody

  • Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information

  • Withdrawal: Withdraw consent for certain uses of your information

  • Complaint: File a complaint about our privacy practices

  • Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time

  • Data Portability: Request your information in a transferable format

To request access to your records or make corrections, please submit a written request to our office. We will respond within 30 days and provide the requested information in an accessible format. There may be a reasonable fee for copying and retrieving extensive records (maximum fees as set by Alberta regulations).

9. Third-Party Service Providers

We may use third-party service providers for functions such as:

  • Appointment reminders and practice management software

  • Payment processing

  • Email marketing platforms

  • Cloud storage and backup services

  • Website hosting

  • Dental laboratories

These providers are contractually required to maintain the confidentiality and security of your information and may only use it for the purposes we specify. Some service providers may store data outside of Canada; in such cases, your information will be subject to the laws of those jurisdictions.

10. Website, Cookies, and Online Tracking

Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

  • Remember your preferences

  • Analyze website traffic and usage patterns

  • Improve website functionality

  • Deliver personalized content

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may limit some website features.

Types of Cookies We Use:

  • Essential Cookies: Required for website operation

  • Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our site (Google Analytics)

  • Advertising Cookies: Used for Google Ads remarketing (see below)

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand website traffic and user behavior. This service collects anonymous information such as pages visited, time on site, and referral sources. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

11. Google Ads and Online Advertising

Google Ads Campaigns

We use Google Ads to advertise our dental services online. This involves:

Remarketing/Retargeting: If you visit our website, cookies may be placed on your device to show you relevant ads as you browse other websites. These ads are managed through Google’s advertising network and do not use personal health information.

Conversion Tracking: We track when website visitors complete actions like filling out contact forms to measure advertising effectiveness.

Similar Audiences: Google may show ads to users with similar browsing patterns to our website visitors.

How to Opt-Out of Interest-Based Advertising:

  • Google Ads Settings: Visit google.com/settings/ads to manage your ad preferences

  • Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada: Visit youradchoices.ca to opt out of participating advertisers

  • Browser Extensions: Install ad-blocking or privacy-focused browser extensions

  • Do Not Track: Enable “Do Not Track” in your browser settings (note: not all websites honor this signal)

Third-Party Pixels and Tags

We may use tracking pixels from Google and other advertising platforms. These collect non-health-related information about website visits to improve ad targeting and measure campaign performance.

Important Note About Health Information

We do NOT use personal health information for advertising purposes. Google Ads remarketing only uses website visit data, not patient records or treatment information. We comply with Google’s advertising policies prohibiting the use of sensitive health data for ad targeting.

12. Email and Electronic Communications

  • Email Security: Email communication is not completely secure. We recommend not including detailed health information in emails unless using our secure patient portal.

  • Online Forms: Information submitted through our website forms is transmitted securely using SSL/TLS encryption.

  • Text Messages: Appointment reminders via SMS are sent through secure, PIPEDA-compliant services. Message and data rates may apply.

  • Unsubscribe: You can opt out of marketing emails at any time by clicking “unsubscribe” or contacting us directly.

13. Children’s Privacy

Patients under the age of 18 require parental or legal guardian consent for treatment and information disclosure. We collect only the minimum necessary information from minors and obtain appropriate consent from parents/guardians. Parents/guardians have the right to access and control their child’s information until the child reaches the age of majority in Alberta (18 years).

14. Cross-Border Data Transfer

Some of our service providers (such as cloud storage, email services, or practice management software) may store or process data outside of Canada, including in the United States. When your information is stored or processed outside Canada, it is subject to the laws of those jurisdictions, including lawful access by government authorities. We only work with providers who maintain appropriate security safeguards.

15. Video Surveillance

Our office may use video surveillance in reception and common areas for security purposes. Cameras are not installed in treatment rooms or areas where patients have an expectation of privacy. Footage is retained for a limited time and only accessed when necessary for security or safety incidents.

16. Social Media

If you interact with us on social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, etc.), your interactions are governed by both this Privacy Policy and the privacy policies of those platforms. We do not post patient information or treatment details on social media without explicit written consent.

17. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or technology. The effective date at the top of this policy indicates when it was last revised. We will notify patients of significant changes through our website, email, and office signage. Continued use of our services after changes indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

18. Questions and Concerns

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or concerns about how your information is handled, please contact us:

Spray Lake Dental
264 Park Street, #404
Cochrane, AB

Phone: (403) 840-0531
Email: info@spraylakedental.com

Privacy Officer: Practice Manager

Office Hours:
Monday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Sunday: Closed

You may also file a complaint with:

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta
Phone: (403) 297-2728 (Edmonton) or 1-888-878-4044 (toll-free in Alberta)
Website: www.oipc.ab.ca
Email: generalinfo@oipc.ab.ca

Alberta Dental Association & College (ADA&C)
Phone: (780) 432-1012 or 1-800-272-8876
Website: dentalhealthalberta.ca

19. Consent Acknowledgment

By receiving treatment at Spray Lake Dental, submitting information through our website, or engaging with our online advertising, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Privacy Policy, including our use of cookies, analytics, and online advertising practices.

Legal Disclaimer: This privacy policy is designed to comply with PIPEDA, Alberta’s Health Information Act (HIA), Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), and relevant professional regulations. It should be reviewed by a legal professional familiar with Alberta healthcare privacy laws before implementation to ensure full compliance with current regulations.

Last Updated: December 2, 2025
Next Review Date: December 2, 2026