Privacy Policy & HIPAA Notice

About This Notice

Dental Center of Brooklyn ("we," "us," or "our"), located at 8100 19th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11214, is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal and protected health information. This document serves two purposes:

• HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices — required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and its implementing regulations.
• Website Privacy Policy — describing how we collect and use information through our website and digital services.

Please read this notice carefully. If you have any questions, contact our Privacy Officer at (718) 256-2800 or visit us at 8100 19th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11214.

HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

What Is Protected Health Information (PHI)?

Protected Health Information (PHI) is information about you, including demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health condition, the provision of health care to you, or payment for that care. This includes your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, dental records, X-rays, treatment history, billing records, and insurance information.

How We Use and Disclose Your PHI

We use and disclose your PHI for the following purposes without requiring your additional authorization:

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

Payment. We use and disclose your PHI to bill and collect payment for the dental services we provide. This includes submitting claims to your insurance company, verifying coverage, and resolving billing disputes.

Healthcare Operations. We use your PHI for internal business activities including quality assurance, staff training, compliance reviews, and business management necessary to operate our practice.

Appointment Reminders. We may contact you by phone, text, or email to remind you of appointments or provide information about treatment options relevant to your condition.

Required by Law. We will disclose PHI when required by federal, state, or local law, including reporting certain communicable diseases to public health authorities and complying with court orders.

Emergency Situations. We may disclose your PHI to a family member, close personal representative, or emergency responder when necessary to prevent serious harm to you or others.

Research. Under certain conditions, we may use PHI for research purposes, always in compliance with applicable privacy regulations and with appropriate safeguards.

Other Uses. We will not use or disclose your PHI for purposes not described in this notice without your written authorization. You may revoke any authorization you have given us at any time in writing, except to the extent we have already acted on it.

Your Rights Regarding Your PHI

You have the following rights with respect to your protected health information. To exercise any of these rights, please contact our office in writing.

Right to Access and Copies

You have the right to inspect and receive a copy of your dental records and other PHI that we maintain. We may charge a reasonable fee for copies. We will provide access within 30 days of your request (or 60 days if the records are not maintained on-site).

Right to Amend Your Records

If you believe that information in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may request that we correct or add to it. We will review your request and respond within 60 days. We may deny the request under certain circumstances and will explain our reasons in writing.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You may request a list of instances in which we have disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. Requests may cover a period of up to six years prior to the request date. The first accounting in a 12-month period is free; additional requests may incur a reasonable fee.

Right to Request Restrictions

You may request that we restrict the use or disclosure of your PHI for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. We are not generally required to agree to such restrictions, but if we do, we are bound by that agreement. You also have the right to request that we not disclose your PHI to your health plan if you pay for services entirely out of pocket.

Right to Confidential Communications

You may request that we communicate with you about dental matters in a specific way or at a specific location. For example, you may request that we contact you only at a particular phone number or address. We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice

You have the right to a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time, even if you have received it electronically. Request a copy at our front desk or by calling (718) 256-2800.

Right to Be Notified of a Breach

You have the right to be notified if there is a breach of your unsecured PHI. We will notify you without unreasonable delay and no later than 60 days after discovery of a breach, as required by federal law.

Website & Digital Privacy

Information We Collect Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information about your device and usage, including:

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type, version, and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs
• Device type (desktop, tablet, mobile)

This information is collected to analyze website performance, improve user experience, and ensure the security of our site. It is not linked to your PHI without your consent.

Information You Provide

When you contact us through our website contact form, you may provide your name, email address, phone number, and a message. We use this information solely to respond to your inquiry. We do not sell, rent, or share your contact information with third parties for marketing purposes.

Online Booking

Our online appointment scheduling is provided by a third-party platform (DentistLink). When you book an appointment online, you are subject to that platform's privacy policy in addition to ours. Any information you provide during booking is used only for scheduling and practice communications.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies — small text files stored on your device — to improve functionality and analyze site traffic. We use:

• Essential cookies — necessary for the website to function properly.
• Analytics cookies — to understand how visitors interact with our site (e.g., Google Analytics). This data is aggregated and anonymized.

You may disable cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of certain features of our website.

Email and SMS Communications

If you provide us with your email address or phone number, we may use it to send appointment confirmations, reminders, and post-visit follow-ups. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by contacting our office or using the unsubscribe link in any email we send. Appointment-related communications are part of your care and are not subject to general marketing opt-outs.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external websites (such as insurance portals or the online booking platform). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any site you visit.

Data Security

We implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect your PHI and personal information from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and destruction, in compliance with HIPAA's Security Rule and the New York SHIELD Act.

These safeguards include:

• Encrypted electronic health records and secure servers
• Role-based access controls limiting staff access to PHI on a need-to-know basis
• Regular staff training on privacy and security practices
• Secure disposal of paper and electronic records
• Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) with all vendors who access PHI

While we take every reasonable precaution to protect your information, no system is completely immune to security risks. If you believe your information has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

Children's Privacy

We provide dental care to patients of all ages, including children. When treating a minor (under age 18), a parent or legal guardian is generally the authorized representative for purposes of accessing and managing that child's PHI. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children through our website without verifiable parental consent, in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Non-Discrimination & Accessibility

Dental Center of Brooklyn complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. We comply with Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and all applicable New York State anti-discrimination statutes.

If you need a language interpreter, sign language interpreter, or other accommodation to access our services, please let us know at the time of booking or upon arrival. These services are provided free of charge.

If you require an accessible format of this notice or any other document, please contact our office and we will provide one promptly.

If you believe we have failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way, you may contact us directly or file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights at www.hhs.gov/ocr/complaints.

How to File a Privacy Complaint

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

File a Complaint With Us

File a Complaint With HHS

Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change the terms of this Privacy Policy and HIPAA Notice and to make the new provisions effective for all PHI we maintain, including information created or received before the changes. If we make a material change to our privacy practices, we will post the revised notice on our website and make it available in our office. The effective date of the most current version will always appear at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this notice periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.