Patient Resources & Links

Introduction

This privacy policy provides information to you, our patient, on how your personal information (which includes your health information) is collected and used within our practice, and the circumstances in which we may share with third parties.

Why and when your consent is necessary?

When you register as a patient of our practice, you provide consent for our dental practitioners and practice staff to access and use your personal information so they can provide you with the best dental care. Only staff who need to see your personal information will have access to it. If we need to use your information for anything else, we will generally seek additional consent from you to do this, unless obtaining your consent is not practical or reasonable, and an exception under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) applies.

Why do we collect, use, hold and share your personal information?

Our practice will need to collect your personal information to provide dental services to you. Our main purpose for collecting, using, holding and sharing your personal information is to manage your dental health. We also use it for directly related business activities, such as financial claims and payments, practice audits and accreditation, and staff training.

What personal information do we collect?

The information we will collect about your includes your:

• name/s, date of birth, address/es, contact details (e.g. telephone, email), family contact information
• details of your oral health condition and the treatment/s and service/s you have received in the past
• details of your general health (e.g. medications, allergies, medical conditions) and medical history that may impact the dental treatment you receive
• private health insurance information
• Medicare number (where relevant) for identification and claiming purposes
• information regarding other funding sources, where relevant (e.g. Child Dental Benefits Schedule, Department of Veterans’ Affairs)
• information on workers’ compensation, motor vehicle and other accident claims, where relevant
• healthcare identifiers, where relevant

Our practice is able to participate in the My Health Record (MHR) system. If you have a MHR and wish to have this considered as part of your dental treatment, please let us know. To access your MHR, we will need your full name, date of birth, gender and Medicare number. If, at any time, there is information associated with your treatment that you do not want included in your MHR, please advise your dental practitioner.

Dealing with us anonymously

You have the right to deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it is impracticable for us to do so or unless we are required by law to only deal with identified individuals.

How do we collect your personal information?

Our practice may collect your personal information in several different ways:

1. When you make your first appointment, our practice staff will collect your personal information via your registration
2. During the course of providing dental services, we may collect further personal information. This may be through avenues such as My Health Record (if requested), your general practitioner, or other specialists
3. We may also collect your personal information when you visit our website, send us an email or SMS, or telephone us
4. In some circumstances personal information may also be collected from other sources. Often this is because it is not practical or reasonable to collect it from you directly. This may include information from:

• your guardian or responsible person
• other involved healthcare providers, such as specialists and diagnostic imaging services
• your healthy fund, Medicare, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (as necessary)

When, why and with whom do we share your personal information?

We sometimes share your personal information:

• with third parties who work with our practice for business purposes, such as IT support personnel (dental software updates/installations) – these third parties are required to comply with Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)
• with other healthy providers
• when it is required or authorised by law (e.g. court subpoenas)
• when it is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to a patient’s life, health or safety or public healthy or safety, where it is impractical to obtain the patient’s consent
• to assist in locating a missing person
• to establish, exercise or defend an equitable claim
• for the purpose of confidential dispute resolution process
• when there is a statutory requirement to share certain personal information (e.g. some disease require mandatory notification)
• during the course of providing dental services, through My Health Record

Only people who need to access your information will be able to do so. Other than in the course of providing dental services or as otherwise described in the policy, our practice will not share personal information with any third party without your consent.

We will not share your personal information with anyone outside Australia (unless under exceptional circumstances that permitted by law) without your consent.

Our practice will not use your personal information for marketing any of our goods or services directly to you without your express consent. If you do consent, you may opt out of direct marketing at any time by notifying our practice in writing.

How do we store and protect your personal information?

Your personal information may be stored at our practice in various forms, such as paper records, electronic records and visual records (x-rays, CT scans, videos and photos).

Our practice stores all personal information securely. Electronic records are password protected, and paper records are in secure cabinets, in a secure environment. We also have confidentiality agreements in place for all staff members.

How can you access and correct your personal information at our practice?

You have the right to request access to, and correction of, your personal information.

Our practice acknowledges patients may request access to their dental records. We ask you put this request in writing to the Practice Manager, Janine Boyd, and our practice will respond within a reasonable time.

Our practice will take reasonable steps to correct your personal information where the information is not accurate or up to date. From time to time, we will ask you to verify that your personal information held by our practice is correct and as current. You may also request that we correct or update your information, and to assist us with attending to your request we would prefer you to make such requests in writing to the Practice Manager, janine@purelydental.com.au, or addressed to Janine Boyd, Purely Dental Practice Manager, 18 Miller Street, Colac 3250.

How can you lodge a privacy-related complaint, and how the complaint be handled at our practice?

We take complaints and concerns regarding privacy seriously. You should express any privacy concerns you may have in writing. We will then attempt to resolve your issue/s in accordance with our resolution procedure. Please address any complaints or concerns to the Practice Manager, Janine Boyd, either by email (janine@purelydental.com.au) or post to 18 Miller Street, Colac 3250. We will endeavour to address your concern within 14 days of being received, or sooner when possible.

You may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). The OAIC may decide not to investigate your complaint if you have not raised it with the practice first. If you have lodged a complaint with us, and we have not responded within 30 days, or you are dissatisfied with our response, you may then take your complaint to the OAIC. For further information, visit www.oaic.gov.au or call the OAIC on 1300 363 992.

Policy review statement

This privacy policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is in accordance with any changes that may occur.

Preparing for your dental visit as a new patient makes your experience smoother for you and your dentist.

Prepare any information you think your dentist may require:

• List of any current medications
• Medical history – any relevant operations or illnesses experienced, past or present
• Your doctor and/or specialists details
• Dental insurance details/Medicare CDBS details (if covered)/Veterans Affairs details
• Any concerns, anxieties, or past problems with dental treatment you may have experienced. Discussing this with your dentist is valuable and we can help reduce your concerns or anxiety to help make your experience as pleasant as possible.
• We will confirm your appointment the day prior via SMS or telephone call.
• Arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment. This give you time to fill out any forms that may be required, and to sit and relax, and get comfortable in our surroundings.

A visit to the dentist is thankfully very different nowadays compared to 20-30+ years ago. Most children now enjoy coming to the dentist, and even ask their parents when they can come back!

We recommend that when your baby/toddler shows the first signs of teeth, to bring them in for a ‘ride in the chair’. This gets them used to the surroundings from an early age.

Your child’s first dental visit should be a pleasant experience, and we are here to make sure your child is at ease and happy.

Visiting your dentist every 6 months should be a regular routine, as dental health can affect your overall health and wellbeing. It is important that children are well educated from a young age regarding their dental health. The choices you make for your child about their dental health and education when they are young, influences the child’s own patterns in dental health when they grow into an adult.

It is important to talk to your children about coming to the dentist, and counting their teeth. You can role play dentists at home with your child and their teddies, so they know what to expect. Set a good example for your child by having your check up at the same time they come in for their first check up. This can help reassure your child that visiting a dentist is normal and a positive experience.

It is important to associate relaxing, pleasant and positive memories of the dentist for your child.

Make sure you have a list of any current medications, health insurance details, or Medicare details (if applicable), and any relevant medical history details you think your dentist may require for your child’s first dental visit.

Dentures should be cleaned daily with a soft toothbrush and denture paste, or a mild soap and water. It is a good idea to run a basin full of water, or place a towel over the basin, and clean your dentures over this, as this will avoid breakage if you accidently drop them. You mouth, gums and tongue should still be brushed, even though you have dentures.

Regular checkups should also be performed by your dentist, to check your gums and soft tissues for any changes or abnormalities. Your dentist will show you how to correctly insert and remove your dentures. Never place any force on your dentures. Remove you denture/s overnight to allow your soft tissues to rest and to prevent grinding.

If they are new dentures, your mouth will take a little while to adapt to them, just like a new pair of shoes. Start with eating soft foods. Similarly, speech takes time also to adapt. If you develop sore spots, contact us to arrange an adjustment. This is perfectly normal.

If they become very sore and you would like to remove them for a while, just make sure you wear them for a few hours prior to the adjustment appointment, so the dentist can see exactly where the adjustment is needed. Oral ulcer cream may be used to relieve discomfort. If the soreness does not improve with this, please make sure you contact your dentist.

BITE ON THE GAUZE

• Apply pressure for about 30 minutes to stop bleeding and form a good clot
• Extra gauze is supplied for further use if continued bleeding

DO NOT RINSE YOUR MOUTH FOR THE DAY

• Premature rinsing may cause bleeding
• It is fine to rinse out with lukewarm salty water after 12 hours. About 2-3 times a day for 3 days

USE COLD PACKS

• This helps to reduce swelling

EXPECT SOME DISCOMFORT

• There is likely tenderness and minor swelling in the area for the next week or so

PAIN CONTROL

• Take paracetamol or ibuprofen (if no allergy) after taking out the gauze pack
• Continue to take pain relieve every 4-6 hourly for the rest of the day
• You may alternate paracetamol and ibuprofen at 2 hour interval if extra pain relief is needed
• If required, continue with the pain killer for the next day or so

DO NOT SMOKE FOR 48 HOURS

• This may cause problems with healing

WHAT IS “DRY SOCKET”

• When blood clot does not form well in the extraction site, dry socket may happen
• It is an inflammation of the bone in the area
• It can cause intense pain, swelling, bad breath/taste and at times temperature
• Dry socket may follow 2-3 days after an extraction and the discomfort is more intense
• Risks include smoking, history of dry socket, difficult extraction and use of contraceptive pills
• Please contact us if you feel you may have dry socket. We can manage it by flushing the extraction site and dress the site with medicament and at times antibiotics may be needed

AVOID EXCESSIVE EXERCISE

• This can exacerbate bleeding and pain

EAT FOOD ON THE OTHER SIDE

• Avoid alcohol and hot food/drink
• Avoid using straw to drink for the first 48 hours

AVOID BRUSHING THE WOUND

• Hence not to disturb the healing
• But continue to brush the rest of the teeth

CONTACT US IF NEEDED

• In cases of excessive bleeding, discomfort or any concern, please get in touch with us (Tel: 5231 2600)