North Salinas Dental

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 1, 2026

North Salinas Dental ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, use our services, or interact with us in any way.

By using our website or providing your information to us, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the practices described in this policy, please do not use our website or provide us with your personal information.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information when you visit our website or receive dental services:

a. Personal Information You Provide

  • Name, date of birth, and contact details (phone number, email address, mailing address)
  • Health and dental history, current dental conditions, and treatment records
  • Insurance information and policy details
  • Payment and billing information
  • Information submitted through our online appointment request form (name, phone, email, preferred date/time, reason for visit, and any additional notes)
  • Any other information you voluntarily provide to us through phone calls, emails, or in-person visits

b. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain non-personal information, including:

  • IP address and approximate geographic location
  • Browser type and version
  • Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
  • Pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation patterns
  • Referring website or search terms that led you to our site

This information is collected through cookies and analytics tools as described in Section 6.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • Providing Dental Care: To deliver, manage, and improve dental treatment and services
  • Appointment Management: To schedule, confirm, and send reminders about appointments
  • Communication: To respond to your inquiries, requests, and appointment submissions
  • Insurance and Billing: To process insurance claims and manage payment for services rendered
  • Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes, including HIPAA
  • Website Improvement: To analyze website usage patterns and improve the functionality and content of our website
  • Health and Safety: To protect the health and safety of our patients and the public as permitted or required by law

We will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

3. HIPAA Compliance and Protected Health Information (PHI)

As a dental care provider, North Salinas Dental is a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). We are committed to protecting your Protected Health Information (PHI) in accordance with HIPAA and all applicable federal and state laws.

Our obligations under HIPAA include:

  • Maintaining the privacy and security of your PHI
  • Providing you with a Notice of Privacy Practices that describes how we may use and disclose your PHI
  • Notifying you in the event of a breach of your unsecured PHI
  • Following the terms of our Notice of Privacy Practices currently in effect
  • Using and disclosing your PHI only as permitted or required by law

For detailed information about how we use and disclose your health information, please refer to our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, available at our office and upon request.

4. Your Rights Regarding Your Information

Under HIPAA and applicable state laws, you have the following rights regarding your health information:

  • Right to Access: You may request access to and obtain a copy of your dental records and other health information we maintain about you
  • Right to Amend: You may request that we amend your health information if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete
  • Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your health information
  • Right to Request Restrictions: You may request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your health information
  • Right to Confidential Communications: You may request that we communicate with you about health matters through alternative means or at alternative locations
  • Right to a Copy of This Policy: You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this Privacy Policy at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our office using the information provided in Section 11.

5. How We Protect Your Information

We implement physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect your information, including:

  • Secure electronic health record systems with access controls
  • Encrypted data storage and transmission
  • Password-protected systems with role-based access
  • Regular staff training on HIPAA compliance and data security practices
  • Physical security measures at our office to protect paper records
  • Secure, server-side processing of online form submissions (no sensitive data is transmitted through your browser)

While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Cookies, Analytics, and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses the following technologies:

a. Google Analytics (GA4)

We use Google Analytics 4 to collect anonymized data about how visitors use our website. This includes pages visited, time on site, traffic sources, and general demographic information. Google Analytics does not collect personally identifiable information or Protected Health Information. Google Analytics uses cookies to distinguish unique users and sessions.

You may opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on.

b. Essential Cookies

Our website uses essential cookies to remember your language preference (English/Spanish) and ensure basic website functionality. These cookies do not track you across other websites and do not contain personal or health information.

c. Contact Form Submissions

When you submit an appointment request through our website, your information is sent securely via a server-side API to our email notification service (SMTP2Go). Your form data (name, phone, email, preferred date/time, reason for visit, and notes) is transmitted using encrypted HTTPS connections and is never exposed in your browser. SMTP2Go acts as a data processor and delivers the submission to our office email. We do not store your form submission data on our website servers.

7. Sharing and Disclosure of Information

We may share your information in the following circumstances, consistent with HIPAA and applicable law:

  • Treatment: With other healthcare providers involved in your care
  • Payment: With your insurance company or other entities to process claims and collect payment
  • Healthcare Operations: For quality improvement, training, and other operational purposes
  • Service Providers: With trusted third-party service providers who assist with our operations (e.g., email delivery, analytics) under appropriate contractual obligations
  • Legal Requirements: When required by law, subpoena, court order, or other legal process
  • Health and Safety: To prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety
  • Public Health: For public health activities as required by law, including disease prevention and reporting

We will never sell your personal information or health records to third parties.

8. Children's Privacy

Our website is not intended for use by children under the age of 13 without parental consent. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through our website. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

We do provide dental services to children, and any health information collected during the course of treatment is protected under HIPAA and managed in accordance with this policy and our Notice of Privacy Practices.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, such as insurance provider websites, Google Maps, or social media platforms. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. When we make changes, we will update the "Effective Date" at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically for any changes. Your continued use of our website or services after any modifications constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights regarding your personal or health information, or have a privacy-related complaint, please contact us:

  • North Salinas Dental
  • 620 E Alvin Dr E, Salinas, CA 93906
  • Phone: (831) 449-8363
  • Email: info@northsalinasdental.com

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.