Privacy Policy
1. Who we are
The Melbourne Smile Centre is a dental practice located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. This policy applies to personal information collected through this website (including any landing pages, application forms, booking calendars and confirmation pages), by phone, SMS, email, in person, and through our advertising on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Google.
2. What information we collect
Personal information
- Name, phone number, email address and suburb/postcode
- Date of birth and emergency contact details (when you become a patient)
- Medicare, private health fund and payment details where relevant
- Responses you provide in our online application or enquiry forms (for example, which teeth are missing or failing and how long you have been considering treatment)
Sensitive (health) information
To provide dental care we may collect health information, including your dental and medical history, medications, allergies, clinical notes, photographs, X-rays, OPG and 3D CT scans, intraoral scans and treatment plans. Health information is collected only with your consent or where otherwise permitted by law.
Technical and usage information
When you visit our website we automatically collect information such as your IP address, device and browser type, pages viewed, time on page, referring URL and interactions (e.g. button clicks and form submissions), including through cookies and similar technologies described in section 6.
3. How we collect information
- Directly from you — when you complete a form on this website, book an appointment, call, SMS or email us, or attend the practice
- From third-party platforms you use to contact us, such as Facebook or Instagram lead forms and Messenger
- From our practice management, booking and CRM software providers acting on our behalf
- From other health practitioners, with your consent, where relevant to your care
4. Why we collect and how we use your information
- To respond to your enquiry or application and contact you by phone, SMS or email to arrange, confirm or remind you about an appointment
- To assess your suitability for dental implant treatment and provide, manage and coordinate your dental care
- To process payments and claims with Medicare, health funds and payment providers
- To send you relevant information about our services and offers, where you have consented — you can opt out at any time
- To operate, secure and improve our website and measure the effectiveness of our advertising
- To comply with our legal and professional obligations
By submitting a form on this website you consent to us contacting you by phone, SMS and email about your enquiry. Standard message rates may apply. You can withdraw consent at any time by replying STOP to an SMS, using the unsubscribe link in an email, or contacting us directly.
5. Who we share your information with
We do not sell your personal information. We may disclose it to:
- Our team members and contractors who need it to provide our services
- Service providers who help us operate — including practice management software, booking and CRM platforms, SMS and email providers, website hosting (e.g. Netlify), form providers and payment processors — under confidentiality obligations
- Other health practitioners, specialists, dental laboratories and imaging providers involved in your care
- Medicare, health funds, insurers and government agencies where required
- Regulators, courts or law enforcement where required or authorised by law
Some of our service providers store data overseas (for example in the United States). Where this occurs we take reasonable steps to ensure your information is handled in a manner consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles.
6. Cookies, analytics and advertising (including Facebook/Meta)
This website uses cookies, pixels and similar technologies, including the Meta (Facebook) Pixel, Google Analytics and Google Ads tags. These tools:
- Measure how visitors use our site and whether our ads lead to enquiries or bookings
- Allow us to show you relevant ads on Facebook, Instagram, Google and partner sites (remarketing), and to build audiences of people similar to our website visitors
- Help us test and improve our pages
Information collected by these tools may be shared with Meta Platforms, Inc. and Google LLC and combined with data they already hold about you, under their own privacy policies. We do not share your health information with advertising platforms. You can control how Meta uses your data through your Facebook Ad Preferences, opt out of Google personalised ads at adssettings.google.com, and manage or delete cookies through your browser settings. Blocking cookies may affect some website features.
This website is not part of, or endorsed by, Facebook™ or Meta Platforms, Inc. FACEBOOK™ is a trademark of Meta Platforms, Inc.
7. Advertising and health claims
Our advertising is intended to comply with the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, the Ahpra/Dental Board of Australia Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service, and the Australian Consumer Law. Any promotional offer is subject to the terms stated in the offer. A consultation is an opportunity to discuss your options — treatment outcomes vary between individuals, and dental implant treatment is a surgical procedure that carries risks. Before proceeding with treatment you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner. A consultation does not oblige you to proceed with treatment.
8. How we store and protect your information
We store information in secure, access-controlled electronic systems (including encrypted cloud-based practice management software) and, where applicable, secure physical files. We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Dental records are retained for the periods required by law (in Victoria, generally at least 7 years for adults, and until age 25 for children), after which they are securely destroyed or de-identified. Enquiry data from people who do not become patients is retained only as long as reasonably necessary.
9. Access and correction
You may request access to, or correction of, the personal information we hold about you by contacting us using the details below. We will respond within a reasonable time (usually 30 days). In limited circumstances permitted by law we may refuse access, in which case we will explain why. A reasonable fee may apply for providing copies of records.
10. Children
Where we treat patients under 18, we collect information from a parent or guardian, who consents on the child's behalf. Our online advertising is not directed at children.
11. Third-party links
Our website may link to booking, form or payment platforms and other third-party sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites — please review their policies.
12. Complaints
If you believe we have breached your privacy, please contact us using the details below. We take complaints seriously and will investigate and respond within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au or 1300 363 992, or the Health Complaints Commissioner (Victoria) at hcc.vic.gov.au or 1300 582 113.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The current version will always be published on this page with the date it was last updated.