Privacy Policy & Notice of Privacy Practices

1. Who We Are

Gentle Dentistry of Carmel Valley (“we,” “our,” or “the Practice”) is a dental practice located at 4765 Carmel Mountain Rd #205, San Diego, CA 92130. We are a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and subject to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). This document serves as both our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices and our general website privacy policy.

Questions? Contact our Privacy Officer at (858) 350-7400 or info@thegentledentistry.com.

2. HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

This notice describes how medical and dental information about you may be used and disclosed, and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI), to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to notify you following a breach of unsecured PHI. We must follow the privacy practices described in this notice while it is in effect. We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for all PHI we maintain.

3. How We Use and Disclose Your Health Information

Treatment

We may use or share your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your dental care. For example, we may share information with specialists, laboratories, or other providers involved in your treatment.

Payment

We may use or share your PHI to bill and collect payment for the dental services we provide. This includes sharing information with your dental insurance plan to determine eligibility, obtain prior authorization, and process claims.

Healthcare Operations

We may use or share your PHI for activities necessary to run our practice, such as quality assessment, staff training, accreditation, licensing, and auditing functions.

Other Uses Permitted Without Authorization

• Appointment reminders. We may contact you with reminders about upcoming appointments via phone, text, or email.
• Treatment alternatives. We may tell you about treatment options or health-related benefits and services.
• Public health activities. We may disclose PHI to public health authorities authorized to collect or receive such information.
• Health oversight. We may disclose PHI to a health oversight agency for authorized oversight activities.
• Legal proceedings. We may disclose PHI in response to a court order or lawful subpoena.
• Law enforcement. We may disclose PHI to law enforcement under specific circumstances as required or permitted by law.
• Coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors. We may disclose PHI as necessary.
• Serious threats. We may disclose PHI to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
• Required by law. We will disclose your PHI when required to do so by federal, state, or local law.

Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization

Other uses and disclosures of your PHI not described above will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke your authorization at any time in writing, except to the extent that we have already taken action in reliance on it. This includes most uses of psychotherapy notes, uses of PHI for marketing purposes, and the sale of PHI.

4. Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

Right to Inspect and Copy

You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI contained in a designated record set for as long as we maintain the PHI. We may charge a reasonable cost-based fee. We must provide access to your PHI in the form or format requested if it is readily producible.

Right to Amend

If you feel that the PHI we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to request an amendment. We may deny your request in certain circumstances, and if we do, we will explain why in writing.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI. This right applies to disclosures made for purposes other than treatment, payment, or healthcare operations during the six years prior to the date of your request.

Right to Request Restrictions

You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your PHI. We are not required to agree to your request unless the restriction is to a health plan regarding services you paid for out-of-pocket in full.

Right to Request Confidential Communications

You have the right to request that we communicate with you about dental matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you may ask that we contact you only at a specific phone number.

Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice

You have the right to receive a paper copy of this notice at any time. You may request a copy from our front desk or by calling us at (858) 350-7400.

Right to Be Notified of a Breach

We are required to notify you by first-class mail or email (if you agreed to receive notices electronically) in the event of a breach of your unsecured PHI without unreasonable delay and in no case later than 60 days after discovery of the breach.

5. Website Data & Cookies

Information You Provide

When you complete our appointment request form, we collect your name, phone number, email address, preferred services, and scheduling preferences. This information is transmitted securely and used solely to respond to your inquiry or schedule your appointment.

Automatically Collected Data

Our website uses Google Tag Manager to load analytics and marketing tools. These may collect standard usage data such as pages visited, time on page, referring website, browser type, and approximate geographic location. This data is aggregated, does not identify you personally, and is used to improve our website and understand how patients find us.

Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device. We use first-party session cookies and third-party analytics cookies (Google Analytics). You may disable cookies through your browser settings; however, some site features may not function properly.

Third-Party Services

• Google Analytics / Google Tag Manager — usage analytics.
• Web3Forms — secure form submission routing.
• Google Maps — embedded map on the contact page.
• YouTube — embedded background video on the homepage.

Each of these services has its own privacy policy. We do not sell data collected through our website.

6. California Privacy Rights (CCPA / CPRA)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). Note that PHI collected in connection with dental care is exempt from CCPA/CPRA but website usage data is not.

• Right to Know. You may request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources, the purposes for collection, and with whom we share it.
• Right to Delete. You may request deletion of personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to Correct. You may request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing. We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
• Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information. We use sensitive personal information only as necessary to provide the requested service.
• Right to Non-Discrimination. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA/CPRA rights.

To exercise these rights, contact us at (858) 350-7400 or info@thegentledentistry.com. We will respond to verified requests within 45 days.

7. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through our website. PHI for minor patients is handled in accordance with HIPAA and California minor consent laws. A parent or guardian may exercise privacy rights on behalf of a minor.

8. Contact Us & How to File a Complaint

If you have questions about this notice or believe your privacy rights have been violated, contact our Privacy Officer:

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR):

You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.