Privacy Policy – Cold Lake Dental

Cold Lake Dental is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all personal and health information entrusted to us. We manage patient information in accordance with Alberta’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), the Health Information Act (HIA), and the ethical requirements of the Alberta dental regulatory authorities. We collect, use, and disclose personal information only as permitted by law and as required to deliver safe, effective dental care.

1. Guiding Principles

  • Cold Lake Dental staff members are required to maintain strict confidentiality with respect to all information obtained from patients.
  • Personal and health information is collected solely for the purposes of providing dental treatment, coordinating related administrative functions, and meeting regulatory or legal requirements.
  • Our team receives training and follows internal privacy procedures to safeguard the information we collect, use, and store.

2. Consent

By scheduling an appointment with Cold Lake Dental, you provide consent for us to use your name and contact details for communication, scheduling, and appointment reminders.
When you complete our forms, you authorize the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal and health information as outlined in that form and in this policy.

We will not collect, use, or disclose your information for any additional purpose without obtaining your consent unless otherwise permitted or required by law.

3. Information We Collect

Cold Lake Dental may collect the following types of information:

  • Contact information (name, phone number, email, home address)
  • Dental and medical history
  • Insurance and payment information
  • Health information necessary for diagnosis, treatment planning, and the delivery of dental services

4. How Your Information Is Used

Personal information is accessed by authorized team members and is used for purposes including:

  • Providing dental examinations, treatment, and follow-up care
  • Coordinating payment, insurance submissions, and billing
  • Managing patient files, appointments, reminders, and communication
  • Any additional uses to which you have explicitly consented

Any use of your information will remain consistent with the purpose for which it was originally collected.

5. Disclosure of Personal Information

Cold Lake Dental treats all personal and health information with the highest level of confidentiality. We may disclose information:

  • To provide dental treatment (e.g., to dental labs, specialists, insurers)
  • As required by law or regulatory authorities
  • When you provide express consent for a specific disclosure

No other disclosures will be made without your authorization unless required by legislation.

6. Retention and Account Management

Patient records are retained in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements.
When you are no longer an active patient, your chart will be marked inactive but retained as required. You may request reactivation at any time.

7. Access to and Correction of Personal Information

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, and to request corrections if the information is inaccurate or incomplete.

To submit a request, please contact us in writing:

Cold Lake Dental
Phone: 780-594-5959
Email:

8. Security of Information

We use administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect personal and health information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, or loss. These safeguards are integrated into our daily operations and updated as required to maintain compliance with Alberta privacy legislation.

9. Privacy Breaches

In the event of an actual or suspected privacy breach, Cold Lake Dental will promptly apply its internal privacy breach response process, including containment, investigation, notification (if required), and prevention of future occurrences.

10. Privacy Impact Assessments

Cold Lake Dental maintains Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) for applicable systems and processes, and these are reviewed and updated as required to remain compliant with the HIA, PIPA, and other governing requirements. Additional PIAs may be completed when new systems or practices are introduced.

11. Cookies and Website Tracking

Our website may use cookies or similar technologies to enhance user experience and collect aggregated information about website traffic and usage patterns. Cookies may store an anonymous identifier on your device.

Google Analytics or similar tools are used to understand how visitors interact with our website. These tools may collect information such as IP address, browser type, device information, and pages visited. This data will be used to improve and enhance user experience on the website. This data is not used to identify you personally and are used only for statistical and analytical purposes.

You may configure your browser to refuse cookies or notify you when a cookie is being sent. Some website features may not function correctly if cookies are disabled.

You may install the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on available from Google. However, some website functions may not operate as intended.

12. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal information, please contact our office:

Cold Lake Dental
Phone: 780-594-5959
Email: