Privacy Policy

Overview

Smile Quest Dental ("we," "us," "our") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose and protect personal information when you visit smilequestdental.com, use our online Smile Guide, book an appointment, or otherwise interact with us online.

Health information you share with us as a patient is protected health information (PHI). PHI is governed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA), and is described in our separate Notice of Privacy Practices. Where this policy and the Notice of Privacy Practices differ regarding PHI, the Notice controls.

Information we collect

• Identifiers you provide: name, email address, phone number, mailing address and date of birth when you request an appointment, complete forms or contact us.
• Health and insurance details you choose to share: dental concerns, treatment goals, insurance carrier and member information.
• Smile Guide conversations: questions and messages you type into our AI-powered Smile Guide.
• Device and usage data collected automatically: IP address, browser type, pages viewed, referring URLs and approximate location, via cookies and similar technologies.
• Communications: records of calls, texts, emails and reviews you send us.

How we use information

• To schedule, confirm and remind you about appointments.
• To respond to questions and provide requested information about our services.
• To verify insurance, estimate costs and process payments or financing.
• To operate, secure and improve our website and Smile Guide.
• To send service updates and, with your consent, promotional offers — you may opt out at any time.
• To comply with legal obligations and professional licensing requirements.

Our AI Smile Guide

The Smile Guide provides general educational information only. It is not a diagnosis, does not create a dentist–patient relationship, and is not a substitute for an examination. For a dental emergency, call our office or 911.

Please do not enter sensitive medical details, Social Security numbers or payment information into the Smile Guide. Conversations are processed by our technology providers to generate responses and are not added to your patient chart.

How we share information

We do not sell your personal information. We do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We may disclose information to:

• Service providers who support scheduling, hosting, analytics, communications, payment and financing, under contracts that restrict their use of your data. Vendors that handle PHI sign Business Associate Agreements.
• Insurance carriers and financing partners, when you ask us to verify benefits or apply for financing.
• Government authorities or others when required by law, subpoena or to protect the rights and safety of patients, staff or the public.
• A successor entity in connection with a merger, acquisition or sale of practice assets, subject to this policy.

Cookies, analytics and Do Not Track

We use essential cookies to make the site work, and analytics cookies to understand how visitors use it. You can block or delete cookies through your browser settings; some features may not function without them.

We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) browser signals as a valid request to opt out of any sale or sharing of personal information. Because there is no common industry standard for "Do Not Track" signals, we treat GPC as the controlling preference.

Your California privacy rights

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (together, "CCPA"), gives you the following rights regarding personal information that is not PHI:

• Right to know the categories and specific pieces of personal information we collected, the sources, the purposes, and the categories of third parties we disclose it to.
• Right to delete personal information we collected from you, subject to legal exceptions such as records we must retain.
• Right to correct inaccurate personal information.
• Right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. We do not sell or share personal information, including that of consumers under 16.
• Right to limit the use of sensitive personal information. We use sensitive information only as permitted to provide the services you request.
• Right to non-discrimination. We will not deny services, charge different prices or provide a different level of care because you exercised a privacy right.

To make a request, call us at 916-797-8511 or write to the Privacy Officer at the address below. We will verify your identity by matching information you provide with information we hold, and respond within 45 days (extendable once by 45 days with notice). You may use an authorized agent with your signed permission. You may make a request to know up to twice in a 12-month period.

California medical information (CMIA)

Under the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (Civil Code §56 et seq.), we will not disclose your medical information without your written authorization, except as required or permitted by law. California law also provides you the right to inspect your records within 5 working days of a written request and to receive copies within 15 days, and gives minors certain rights to consent to and control records of specific types of care.

Records are retained as required by California law, generally for at least 7 years from the date of last treatment for adults and until age 19 (and at least 7 years) for minors.

California "Shine the Light" and minors

California Civil Code §1798.83 permits California residents to request information about disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. We do not share personal information with third parties for their own direct marketing.

Our website is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information online. Registered users under 18 in California may request removal of content they posted (Business and Professions Code §22581).

Security and retention

We use administrative, technical and physical safeguards — including encryption in transit, access controls and staff training — to protect information. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. We retain personal information only as long as needed for the purposes described here or as required by law.

If a breach affects your information, we will notify you as required by HIPAA and California Civil Code §1798.82.

Accessibility

This policy is available in alternative formats upon request. Call 916-797-8511 and we will provide it in a format that works for you.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The effective date above reflects the latest revision, and material changes will be posted on this page. We review this policy at least every 12 months.