Your privacy, handled with care.

Royal Oak Dental is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the personal and health information you entrust to us. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, how we may share it, and the choices you have. We believe you should feel informed and in control of your information, without pressure. This page also serves as our written public statement of information practices under Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004.

Effective date: July 20, 2026.

YOUR INFORMATION

Who we are, and our role under the law.

Royal Oak Dental is a family and cosmetic dental practice located at 584 Ford Drive, Unit 3, Oakville, Ontario L6J 0A4. Under Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004, our practice is a Health Information Custodian. This means we are responsible for the personal health information in our custody and control. Our dentists, hygienists, and administrative team members act as our agents, and each of them is required to protect your information and to follow this policy. Our dentists are general dentists registered with the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario.

What we collect, and why we collect it.

We collect only the information we reasonably need to provide dental care and to operate our practice and website.

In the clinic, we collect personal health information such as your name, address, telephone number, email address, date of birth, health card number where applicable, medical and dental history, clinical examination and treatment notes, dental radiographs and images, and billing and dental insurance information.

Through our website, we collect the information you choose to give us in our appointment request form, which includes your first and last name, telephone number, email address, your preferred way to be contacted, the reason for your enquiry, and the day and time that suit you. If you are applying to join our team, the form may also collect the resume you upload.

When you telephone us, email us, or message us on social media, we collect the information you choose to share so that we can respond to you.

Through our website we also collect limited technical information using cookies and similar tools, such as pages viewed, general location, device and browser type, and how you reached our website. This is explained in the section on cookies and website tools below.

How we use your information, for your care and our service.

We use your information to provide and coordinate your dental care; to communicate with you about appointments, treatment, and follow-up; to prepare treatment estimates and process payments and dental insurance claims; to meet our professional, legal, and regulatory obligations; and to operate, maintain, and improve our practice and our website. We use the information submitted through our website form only to respond to your enquiry and to arrange the care or service you have asked about.

Consent, given and withdrawn on your terms.

We collect, use, and disclose your personal health information with your consent, except where the law permits or requires us to act without it. Your consent may be express, meaning you tell us in words, verbally or in writing, or implied, meaning it is reasonable in the circumstances to conclude that you consent. For example, when you attend for care, we rely on your implied consent to share information among the members of your care team for the purpose of treatment. We ask for your express consent where the law requires it, such as before disclosing your personal health information to someone who is not a health information custodian, for example your insurance company.

You may withhold or withdraw your consent at any time by contacting our Privacy Officer, subject to legal and professional limits and to care already provided. If you withdraw consent, we will explain any effect this may have on our ability to provide certain services. Withdrawing consent does not apply to information we are required by law to keep or to disclose.

How we share your information, and with whom.

We share your information only as needed to provide your care and as permitted or required by law. We may share your information with:

Specialists and health care providers — dental or medical specialists, and other health care providers, to whom we refer you or who take part in your care.
Dental laboratories — laboratories that prepare appliances, crowns, aligners, or other custom items for your treatment.
Insurance providers — your dental insurance provider or plan administrator, with your consent, to confirm coverage and process claims.
Regulators — our regulators, including the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, where required.
As required by law — other persons or organizations where we are permitted or required to disclose information, for example in response to a court order or a valid legal requirement.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not disclose it for advertising or marketing purposes without your consent.

How we protect your information, at every step.

We maintain physical, administrative, and technical safeguards to protect your information against theft, loss, and unauthorized access, use, disclosure, copying, modification, or disposal. Physical safeguards include secured premises and restricted access to records. Administrative safeguards include staff confidentiality obligations, training, and limiting access to those who need it for your care or for our operations. Technical safeguards include passwords, access controls, secure backups, and encryption where appropriate. If a privacy breach occurs, we will respond promptly and will notify you at the first reasonable opportunity where the law requires, along with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario where applicable.

How long we keep your records, and why.

We keep dental records for the periods required by our regulator. Clinical and financial patient records, radiographs, consultant reports, and drug and laboratory prescriptions are kept for at least ten years after the date of the last entry in your record. For a patient who is a minor, these records are kept for at least ten years after the day the patient turned eighteen years of age. Dental claim forms are kept for at least two years from the date the claim was provided to you or submitted on your behalf. When records are no longer required, we destroy them securely, for example by shredding paper records or permanently erasing electronic records.

YOUR RIGHTS

Your rights, and how to exercise them.

You have the right to ask what personal health information we hold about you and to obtain access to it. You have the right to ask us to correct information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. You have the right to withdraw your consent, subject to legal and professional limits. And you have the right to make a complaint about how we handle your information.

To make any of these requests, please contact our Privacy Officer using the details at the end of this policy. We will respond as required by law. In limited circumstances the law allows us to decline a request, and if that happens we will explain why and tell you how you may seek a review.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may make a complaint to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario:

Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8
Toronto area: 416-326-3333
Toll-free: 1-800-387-0073
TTY: 416-325-7539
Website: www.ipc.on.ca

Time limits apply to complaints to the Commissioner. In general, you may file a complaint within one year of becoming aware of the matter, and within six months for a complaint about access to or correction of your records.

ON THIS WEBSITE

Cookies and website tools, explained plainly.

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to help the website work, to understand how visitors use it, and to support our advertising. Cookies are small files placed on your device. You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings, and you can limit interest-based advertising as described below.

We use the following tools:

Google Analytics — a web analytics service provided by Google that helps us understand how visitors find and use our website so that we can improve it. Google Analytics uses first-party cookies and similar identifiers to collect information such as pages viewed, time spent, general location, and the source of your visit. You can opt out by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
Google Ads conversion tracking and remarketing — we use Google Ads to promote our services. Google Ads uses cookies and similar identifiers to measure the results of our advertising and, through remarketing, to show our advertisements to people who have previously visited our website when they are on other websites across the Internet. Google and other third-party vendors use first-party cookies, such as the Google Analytics cookie, and third-party cookies, such as Google advertising cookies, together for these purposes. You can manage or opt out of personalized advertising through Google Ads Settings or the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.
Embedded Google Map — our contact area includes a map provided by Google so you can find and reach our office. When the map loads, Google may set cookies and collect information in accordance with Google’s own privacy policy.
Form processing — when you submit our appointment request form, the information you provide is transmitted to us and processed so that our team can follow up with you. Submitting the form does not confirm an appointment; a member of our team will contact you to finalize the date and time.

Where we send you appointment reminders, confirmations, or other messages by email or text message, we do so in keeping with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation. Messages that relate to care you have requested are sent to help with that care. We will ask for your consent before sending promotional messages, and any commercial message we send will identify us and include an easy way to unsubscribe.

Information about minors, handled with special care.

We provide care to patients of all ages, and we handle the information of children and young people with special care. Ontario law does not set a fixed age of consent for decisions about personal health information; instead, it depends on whether the young person is capable of understanding the decision and its consequences. Where a child is not able to make a particular decision, a parent, guardian, or other authorized person may do so on the child’s behalf. Our website and forms are intended for use by adults, and we ask that young people involve a parent or guardian before submitting information to us online.

Links to other websites, beyond our control.

Our website may contain links to other websites, such as insurance providers, treatment manufacturers, or professional organizations, that we do not operate or control. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any website you visit, as we are not responsible for their practices.

Changes to this policy, kept current.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in the law. When we make a change, we will update the effective date shown on this page and post the current version here. This Privacy Policy is effective as of July 20, 2026.

CONTACT

How to reach our Privacy Officer, whenever you need us.

If you have any questions about this policy, if you would like to access or correct your information, or if you wish to make a complaint, please contact our Privacy Officer:

Dr. Mehwish Yasin, Privacy Officer
Royal Oak Dental
584 Ford Drive, Unit 3, Oakville, Ontario L6J 0A4
Telephone: (905) 339-1001
Email: info@royaloakdental.ca

We will do our best to answer your questions clearly, so that you feel informed and in control.