About Services Conditions Before/After Reviews Pay Bill Contact 704.633.2612

Privacy and Communication Practices

How medical information about you may be used and disclosed, and how you can access it

  1. Beautiful Dentistry
  2. About
  3. Privacy and Communication Practices

Notice of Privacy and Communication Practices

At Beautiful Dentistry, we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of our patients’ information. This privacy policy outlines our practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal and health information, as well as our text message communication policies. Our goal is to provide clear and concise information on how we handle your information, the purposes for which it is used, and the options available to our patients for managing their privacy and communication preferences.

This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully. If you have any questions about this notice, please contact the Privacy Officer at 704.633.2612 (Salisbury) or 336.753.1305 (Mocksville).

Information we collect

  1. Personal Information: We collect personal information such as name, address, phone number, email address, and date of birth.
  2. Health Information: We collect health information related to your medical history, current health conditions, treatments, and medications.
  3. Payment Information: We collect payment information such as insurance details and credit card information for billing purposes.

How We Use Your Information

  1. Provision of Medical Services: We use your personal and health information to provide you with medical care, treatment, and services.
  2. Appointment Scheduling: We use your contact information to schedule and confirm appointments.
  3. Billing and Insurance: We use your payment information to process billing and insurance claims.
  4. Communication: We use your contact information to communicate with you about your health, appointments, and other relevant information.
  5. Legal and Regulatory Compliance: We use and disclose your information as required by law, including for public health reporting and other regulatory requirements.

Disclosure of Your Information

  1. With Your Consent: We may disclose your information to third parties with your explicit consent.
  2. For Treatment, Payment, and Healthcare Operations: We may disclose your information to other healthcare providers, insurance companies, and third-party service providers as necessary for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations.
  3. As Required by Law: We may disclose your information without your consent when required by law, such as in response to a court order or subpoena.

Opt-In and Opt-Out Processes for Text Messaging

Use of Text Messages

  1. Purpose of Text Messages: We use text messages solely for confirming appointments and verifying appointment availability. We never communicate sensitive patient information via text message.
  2. Initiating Text Messages: We will only send text messages from our main office number, 704-633-2612, in response to an incoming text message sent to that number from a patient.

Opt-In Process

  1. Implicit Opt-In: By sending a text message to our main office number, 704-633-2612, patients implicitly opt-in to receive text message communications from us for appointment-related matters.

Opt-Out Process:

  1. Ways to Opt Out

    • Do Not Send Text Messages: If you prefer not to receive text message communications from us, simply do not send us any text messages.
    • Email Notification: You can opt out by sending an email to help@piedmontdds.com requesting to be removed from text message communications.
    • In-Person Notification: You can inform us in person during your visit to the clinic that you wish to opt out of text message communications.
    • Text Message Notification: You can inform us via text message at 704-633-2612, and express your wish to opt out of further text message communication. A human is reading the messages, and not a robot. You will no longer receive communication via text messages.

  2. Confirmation of Opt-Out

    • Upon receiving your opt-out request via email, voice call, text message, or in person, we will process your request and ensure that you no longer receive text message communications from our office.

Security of Your Information

  1. Safeguards: We implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information against unauthorized access, use, and disclosure.
  2. Employee Training: Our staff is trained on the importance of patient privacy and the measures we take to protect your information.

Your Privacy Rights

  1. Access and Correction: You have the right to access and request correction of your personal and health information.
  2. Restriction Requests: You have the right to request restrictions on how we use and disclose your information.
  3. Confidential Communications: You have the right to request confidential communications, such as specifying a preferred method of contact.
  4. Complaints: You have the right to file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns about our privacy policy or the use of text messages, please contact us:

Email: help@piedmontdds.com Phone: 704-633-2612 Address: 1401 W Innes St, Salisbury NC, 28144

Updates to Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Any changes will be posted on our website and will be effective immediately upon posting.

This comprehensive privacy policy ensures that patients are informed about how we handle their information, including the specific use of text messages, and provides clear instructions on how to manage their privacy preferences.

HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1966 (HIPAA) is a federal program that requires that all medical records and other individually identifiable health information used or disclosed by us in any form, whether electronically, on paper, or orally, are kept confidential. This Act gives you, the patient, significant rights to understand and control how your personal health information (PHI) is used. HIPAA provides penalties for covered entities that misuse PHI.

As required by HIPAA, we have prepared this explanation of how we are required to maintain the privacy of your PHI and how we may use and disclose your PHI. We may change this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time. Any changes will apply to all PHI. When changes to the notice occur, we will post the revised version in our office and on our website at www.piedmontdds.com. A copy of the most recent notice will be given to you, upon request.

We may use and disclose your PHI only for each of the following purposes: treatment, payment, and health care operations.

  • Treatment means providing, coordinating, or managing health care and related services by one or more health care providers. An example of this would include teeth cleaning services or referral to another practice.
  • Payment means such activities as obtaining reimbursement for services, confirming coverage, billing or collection activities, and utilization review. An example of this would be sending a bill or x-rays from your visit to your insurance company for payment.
  • Health care options include the business aspect of running our practice, such as conducting quality assessment and improvement activities, auditing functions, cost management analysis, and customer service. An example would be internal assessment review.

We may post daily schedules, via computer terminals, in operatories. These schedules may include the patient’s name and reason for the appointment.

We may take digital images as part of your treatment. These images are for clinical use only. Identifiable images will not be shared without your consent, other than for payment or treatment purposes. We may contact you to provide appointment reminders, information about treatment alternatives, or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you. This includes reminders about medication, if necessary. We may contact you by phone, at the number(s) provided by you, and with your consent. Any other uses and disclosures will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke such authorization in writing. We are required to honor and abide by such written request, except to the extent that we have already taken actions relying on your authorization.

You have the following rights with respect to your PHI, which you can exercise by presenting a request to the Privacy Officer:

  • The right to request restriction on certain uses and disclosures of PHI, including those related to disclosures to family members, other relatives, close personal friends, or any other person identified by you. However, we are not required to agree to a requested restriction. If we do agree to a restriction, we must abide by it unless you agree, in writing, to remove it.
  • The right to reasonable requests to receive confidential communications of PHI.
  • The right to inspect and copy your PHI.
  • The right to amend your PHI.
  • The right to receive an accounting disclosures of PHI.
  • The right to obtain a paper copy of this notice, upon request.

By law, we are required to maintain the privacy of your PHI, and provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to personal health information. We may use and disclose your PHI in other situations without your permission, if required by law.

This notice is effective as of January 1, 2017. We are required to abide by the terms of the Notice of Privacy Practices currently in effect. We reserve the right to change the terms of our Notice of Privacy Practices and to make the new notice provisions effective for all PHI that we maintain. The most current copy of this notice will be posted. You may also request a copy of this notice from our office.

You have recourse, if you feel that your privacy protection has been violated. You have the right to file a written complaint with our office, with the Department of Health & Human Services Office of Civil Rights, about any violation of the provisions of this notice, or the policies and procedures of our offices. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

If you have any questions, please contact our office.

For more information about HIPAA, or to file a complaint, please call 292-619-0257 or 877-696-6775, or write to:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201

Schedule an Appointment Online

Call or Text Message (704) 633 2612